World Structure
World structure is the entry-level guide to how a fantasy or wuxia world is built. Where individual races, regions, and entities are catalogued elsewhere, this page asks the more basic question — what holds the world together, and what makes it different from another world.
Every fantasy world rests on the same handful of structural questions. What are the laws of power? Who lives there? Where do they live? What classes and roles exist? What entities transcend the ordinary? What history shaped the present? What artifacts persist across eras? These foundations decide what kinds of stories the world can tell.
MoonWiki's world hierarchy splits into eight axes that map onto these foundations. This page walks the big picture and points you at the right entry.
Core characteristics
The defining properties that set this category apart from others.
- StructuralWhat holds a world together at the base layer.
- Cross-work baselineProvides a common map across different worlds.
- Beginner-friendlyEasy on-ramp for understanding worldbuilding.
- Story-shapingDecides what kinds of stories the world can tell.
How it differs from neighboring categories
Even within the same family, each category has a distinct character. Comparing side by side is the fastest way to grasp the differences.
World Structure
How a world is built at the base layer.
Power Sources & Laws
The laws by which power operates in the world.
Races
Who lives in the world.
Nations & Regions
Where they live.
When world structure helps
Best for first-time worldbuilders and cross-work comparison.
- First visitYour first look at MoonWiki's world classification.
- Reading a new workPicking up the world structure of a new novel, game, or film.
- Worldbuilding designWhen a creator is designing their own world.
- Cross-work comparisonComparing the structural foundations of different worlds.
The eight axes of world structure
MoonWiki uses eight canonical axes.
World Structure
The base layer of how the world is built.
Power Sources & Laws
The laws by which power operates.
Races / Regions / Classes
Who, where, and what role.
Deities / History / Artifacts
Transcendent entities, history, and persistent objects.
Limits of world structure
Foundation pages trade depth for breadth.
- AbstractSpecific races, regions, and entities live on the individual pages.
- Varies by workWhat 'world structure' even means shifts across works.
- Supplement neededPair with axis-specific pages for the full picture.
How worldbuilding develops
Worlds grow from base structure into full population.
Base layer establishes the laws of power, the races present, and the regions that hold them.
Mid layer adds classes and roles, transcendent entities, and history.
Top layer brings in artifacts that persist across eras and the events that shape them.
Digging deeper into world structure
Open the next-axis pages directly.
Start with Power Sources & Laws for the rules of power.
Move to Races, Nations & Regions, and Classes & Professions.
Read Deities, History, and Artifacts for the transcendent layer.