Silence permeates the air as a traveler rides his horse on a golden road way out in the middle of nowhere. In front of him, the road curves right and left all the way to the horizon where it disappears on top of a hill. He looks around and is happy that he’s the only one out in the wild. The place the traveler is in is what’s called rural fantasy, which is one of the most important environments in the genre.
The rural fantasy is where all rural dwellers reside. They’re merely content to live off the land and bask in the natural beauty all year round. Those who call these areas home live simpler lives and tend to look at cities with disdain.
The countryside is rich in biomes. From rolling hills to thick, lush forests to roaring rivers, the countryside teems with excitement. While it’s full of excitement, it has its own set of dangers. In some cases, the dangers can prove fatal, especially for those who travel it unprepared.
Like cities, rural fantasy plays a significant role in the story. It’s where the story continues as the hero and his party travel from one place to another. The story moves slower, as if giving the audience some time to catch his breath before the hero reaches the next stop on his journey. Here, the audience learns more about the characters and the world by listening to their conversations.
This is the second in a series examining fantasy environments. If you haven’t read the first one, which featured cities, it’s called Fantasy Environments: What makes Fantasy Cities so Popular? Have fun reading it! If you want more, why not check out our blog page? We have tons more for you!
These environments showcase the world the story takes place in. Consequently, they’re one of the most important tools to use, as they enable the audience to see what your world looks like or envision it in their mind. You want your audience to be totally immersed in your world.
With the sun rising in the east, let’s get on a horse and go galloping off into the countryside!
There’s nothing quite like sitting on your horse and seeing the majesty of the mountains way off in the distance, as if beckoning you. Rural fantasy offers many more places to admire the natural beauty of the world than you find in cities. In many cases, these places remain pristine, never feeling the effects of development, even thousands of years later after the first kingdoms rose and fell.
While fewer people live in rural areas, the countryside makes up for its smaller population due to its massive size. Indeed, it can take days to weeks to months — depending on the mode of transportation used — to travel from one city to another and that’s if you traveled on one of the roads. Imagine how long it would take if you stayed off the road and you didn’t know which direction you were going!
Its sheer size hosts a variety of landscapes. The typical landscapes you expect to see are:
Each one of these landscapes are awash with animals and flora and fauna. Many species live in multiple places. For example, bears and deer call the mountains home yet they’re also seen in forests and caves.
The abundant wildlife is one of rural fantasy’s premier attractions. People flock to these areas to study the wildlife and learn more about these creatures. Some animals even remain undiscovered for centuries!
The massive size of the countryside means it hides many secrets and uncovering them isn’t as easy as you think it would be. It’s easy for a rare species to elude discovery since they only live in one or two places, way out in remote areas where getting there is notoriously difficult.
While rural fantasy is full of beauty, it’s also perilous. Being attacked by vicious animals or being robbed by bandits are just a couple of bad things that happen out in the wild. You also have to contend with monsters and the unpredictability of the weather.
Animals such as rattlesnakes and wolves make traversing the countryside quite dangerous. They have no qualms about attacking humans and they can strike anytime from anywhere. It’s always wise to keep your eyes out and ears attuned for animals like them. Being alert and aware of your surroundings can mean the difference between life and death.
Mercenaries attacking people on the road happens far more often than you think it does. These bandits are almost always a group of people who need money and have turned to a life of crime in order to get money. They target those who travel in luxury and also merchants who are transporting a ton of cargo.
However, life in the countryside isn’t all that bad! People who live in rural areas live simpler lives. They appreciate the beauty of nature and work to preserve it for the next generation to enjoy. Living out in the countryside means they learn how to be self-sufficient. Many of them grow and raise their own crops and animals and cultivate their gardens so they always have food to put on the table.
Many rural communities hold many celebrations throughout the year. They give thanks to the gods they worship, attend holiday events, and commemorate their successful harvests in the fall. The numerous celebrations foster a sense of community and bring people together.
Rural citizens tend to be friendly people, always willing to lend a hand to those who need help. Whenever a crisis occurs, they rally around the person who’s suffering and help them get through it. If there’s a death in the family, they cook entire meals for the family to eat so they don’t have to make it themselves. If a farmer is shorthanded around harvest time, they pitch in and help so that the farmer can complete the harvest before the cold damages his crops.
Out in rural areas is where many tales begin, not in the cities. Rural fantasy is the perfect place for the audience to start learning about the world they’re in. The picturesque setting invokes a sense of tranquility that eases the audience into the world before moving into the chaos that later engulfs the world. The calm before the storm, so to speak.
It’s also where many creators begin establishing the elements of the story that will prove crucial throughout the story such as characters and names of places that will play a pivotal role down the road. The audience is introduced to the hero character — examples being Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings and Link in The Legend of Zelda — as well as others who will be instrumental in setting the world right.
The countryside is also where the story takes a dark turn. This is known as the ‘inciting incident’ and this plot device jumpstarts the story. During this time of peace, word begins to creep in about sinister events occurring from afar. Only a select few are worried, viewing them as harbingers of coming dark times whereas the vast majority consider them idle gossip. Eventually trouble winds up on the hero’s doorstep and he’s forced to flee the comforts of home, leaving everything behind despite not understanding why.
After the hero flees his home, he’s on the road, looking for answers as to what’s going on. As he moves nearer the first city on his search for answers, he crosses paths with several acquaintances — usually people he knows — who joins him. They talk about what’s going on as they inch ever closer to the first city. Against the backdrop of a rural landscape, the audience learns more about the characters and how they interact with each other before dramatic events take place.
As the story continues, rural fantasy serves to dial down the tension as the hero and his party travels from one city to another. In every city he reaches, the hero unravels the mystery of what’s going on bit by bit which shocks him and the audience. Traveling in-between, he and his traveling companions digest what just happened. This enables the audience to catch their breath for a bit so they can process what they just learned before the story enters a dangerous phase. An added benefit is that everyone gets to enjoy the scenery of the countryside.
As the story barrels towards the crescendo, the countryside is no longer peaceful as it’s now feeling the effects of the growing darkness. People lock their homes and are no longer friendly. Armies march across its roads and plains, determined to lay waste to their enemies. Rural landscapes are ravaged and destroyed in brutal, bloody battles, becoming a casualty of the eternal war between good and evil. Even when evil is vanquished and peace returns to the land, the wounds the countryside suffered during the war remains and they’ll take a long time to heal.
Rural fantasy evokes a sense of peace with its picturesque settings, which is why it’s one of the best environments to focus on when creating the story. Its beauty serves as a great backdrop to key scenes, whether they be two characters realizing they love each other in front of the sun setting behind the mountains or the hero breaking down in despair alongside a babbling brook, having suffered a terrible blow.
It’s also a great tool to slowly introduce the story’s conflict as the audience is spoon-fed little tidbits of information here and there instead of having a whole lot dumped on them at once. Foreshadowing is also another great tool to use here as it cleverly hints at things that the audience will miss their first time around.
When bringing rural fantasy to your world, bring them to life. Make your audience feel like they’re experiencing the same thing as your characters. Talk about the magnificent mountains or the calmness of the seas and the good-natured people who live out there. The sky’s the limit when it comes to your imagination here!
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Sunfire
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