Worldbuilding & Hyperflexible Mythology (Patreon)

Hello there everyone! Happy Holidays and New Year! Not quite yet but, hey, I'll probably post next Essay in the middle of January, and it'd be a bit late by then. We're almost past 2020, and we've made it this far! A cheers, let's strive so that next year things will be better, and keep our hopes and good spirits up!

But with the Holiday Cheer off the way, let us talk about Hyperflexible Mythology. I know that sounds like some weird and complicated bullshit, but I can assure you chances are you HAVE come across them before. In some Fandom or Another, when making your own OCs... And technically speaking? If you've ever looked up things about your horoscope, congratulations! You've partaken as well.

Hyperflexible Mythology is a term coined by Andrew Hussie in Homestuck, to refer to the Classpect System, as a system 'tailored' to the Players of SBURB. It defines the range of their powers, their 'Element' so to say, their clothing and the color scheme of it, and to an extent, encompasses their personality traits and the arc they follow through the story. It sounds deep and complex, but as I've mentioned before, it is kind of like a Horoscope or Personality Quiz, with God Powers attached to it.

So it's not surprising that it's become one of the most iconic and beloved parts of the entire franchise. People love speculating about Classpects, and assign Classes and Aspects to characters from other Media, let alone, find their own cool set of powers or that of their own OCs! And yet, as I have mentioned, while coined by Homestuck, it is not something exclusive to this Fandom.

Let's talk, about what makes them so fun to mess around with, other examples found across the board, and in particular, think: Can we spice up our own ideas and projects with them?

Yeah of course we can. Otherwise I'd not be writing about it duh. ;)

The Appeal & Spread

The appeal seems quite straightforward to me, isn't it? Like with Personality Quizzes, like with your Horoscope, the fun of it is being able to categorize oneself, or someone else, based on specific, arbitrary sorting methods, whether it be for fun, or as a deeper way for exploration of the self. The reflection of oneself based on particular traits, the association with a certain group of people, cautionary advice of certain bad traits to work on... Of course, I personally dislike putting too much weight on this kind of system, namely when people use these categories to justify bad things without trying to change themselves, or when they make up 'affinities' that mean they will not get along with people in a different category, because at that point these systems become alienating and can be harmful.

So in short, the fun of Hyperflexible Mythology, is just finding out what category you fall under, and feeling represented or happy with how this otherwise arbitrary system references your way of being, preferences, interests, etc. People love seeing themselves in Media they love, and to be able to say you are, say, a Seer of Doom, and being able to imagine cool powers and abilities from this title, is just... A joyful experience! You can draw yourself in cool robes, or using powers, you can develop your self-insert more and imagine them alongside you favorite characters... Inspiration, ideas, connection.

In Avatar, the Last Airbender, the four Classical Elements are each associated with the major nations of the world. Each have their own distinct culture and traditions, tying to these Elements and what they represent. Each Element, too, has sub-categories of Bending, such as Earthbenders being capable of Metal Bending, or Sand Bending, or Lava Bending. A place and culture for each, particular traits for each, particular power sets for each, once more it follows this same idea of 'categories' of people, and/or powers, that are meaningful within the context of a particular story or narrative framework. 

Like choosing a Class in a RPG, a species or appearance in an MMO, the existence of these Systems in non-interactive media opens up the doors for character creation and self-exploration through the lens of a story we're interested or fixated on. It's about the immersion, a set of rules to follow that tell you that, you too, would fit in this world, in one way or another. A conversation between the Author's ideas, the basic framework of their setting, and the Audience's enjoyment and production of fan content. And even when people don't strictly adhere to these 'rulesets', their bending and further exploration is equally a love letter from fans that wonder how things could differ if new elements were added to the existing system, or that feel there could be an extra layer of depth on top.

From Homestuck's Classpects, Dreaming Moons, Alchemy Systems and Lands, to Avatar's Elements. From your classic RPG Classes and Magic Types, to the Servant Classes of the Fate series. From Pokemon Types and their associated Trainers, to RWBY Semblances and Dust Types. The truth is, people just fucking love customization! To be given choices and have few restrictions, and let their imagination run on how to fit the pieces together.

From the more simple to the more complex, if you've ever made an OC for a Fandom, you likely touched upon some semblance of Hyperflexible System. They're common, they're fun. But so far we've talked about these from the point of view of the audience. Us, as the ones making characters. Us, as the ones introspecting based on these given categories. But maybe you're a DM, working with an already existent customization system. Or maybe you're planning your own story, and want to open the door to this kind of idea! Where do you even begin for this? What should you do? How far do you go? Is it okay to go this way or this other way when creating a Hyperflexible System?

Well... Let's see, shall we?

Creation & Caveats

Let's start with the beginning. Creating such a system or expanding upon an existing one in the first place. And the important thing to remember here, is that you shouldn't be too strict with your System.

For example, D&D races. I believe it has changed in recent years, but no one likes adhering to hard rules about the alignment of one or another. Cultural biases can definitely affect large swathes of population, which can make the idea of an entire race leaning towards an alignment or another prevalent, but when you lock some races entirely out of being one way or another, no matter the circumstances, it becomes biological determinism, and we don't do that here. Worse yet, some of these leans, mixed with the cultural differences of the races, can end up pushing racist biases to the forefront of the representation of these. Once again, we don't do that here.

The thing is, of course, there's not actually any real way to divide the Human Experience in any amount of slivers, we're all diverse and unique enough that categorizing will always leave something out, that we will always find some of ourselves across more than a single one of these categories. Hyperflexible Mythology is Hyperflexible precisely because of this- It's Vague. It's a Horoscope of tendencies. Rather than working with a solid system that says if you're X you MUST be Y, the spectrum of experiences and ways of being simply cannot be accounted for. Exceptions, leanings, vibes, more than unbreakable rules and certainty.

This is not to say these categories themselves can't have very specific things, of course. Let's talk, for example, of RPG Classes as I mentioned, and in particular, go for a Rogue kind of Class. An outlaw or bandit, subterfuge, quick attacks, stealing, sneaking. As a Class, you can imagine them to use light weapons and armor, and have skills like Lockpicking and Pick-Pocketing, for example. It IS the outlaw class, and as such it does outlaw things. But it sounds kind of bad, right? Stealing? It's usually not a good thing! So you can assume Rogues to be evil-leaning Classes- And then you've fallen into the trap of being too specific, and alienated all Robin Hood types off the Class.

Or let's go with Homestuck Classes. The Prince is a Destroyer Class, they Destroy with their Aspect, and also their Aspect. They often have some conflicting feelings about themselves. Destroying? And particularly, considering characters like Eridan and Kurloz being Princes? Oh my oh my, evil Class, too! And just like that, you invalidate the actual Struggle a good Prince may go through trying to better themselves, the potential for someone that righteously tears down the evil in the world, and worse yet, can make people who relate to Princes to feel invalidated and unworthy of being good or improving themselves.

You need to be careful with how you deal with Hyperflexible Systems, because as any Customizable System, people will latch and project onto it. The more strict it is, the less leeway there is for everyone to feel included. And yet in the same way, by being TOO vague, things will become nebulous and unclear. The best systems are those that offer a balance of the two. Particular roles to fill, potential power sets to deal with, but ultimately, a suggestion that leaves the door open to those who don't fit 100% to still try to go through with it. 

So let's roll things back a bit. You're dealing with an already existing System? Consider the pros and cons of it. What is fun and feels good about this system? What do you LIKE to mess around with? The variety of choices, the cool powers, the diversity of stats, that is always fun! Make a mental note to try and expand the default scope of it if necessary. Why do all X need to be bad, or hostile, or biased against Y? Nurture is much more powerful than Nature. Consider the backstory, consider the background, the context, and you may be able to come up with more unique and engaging stories than ever before.

And are you making your own System? Have fun. If you're interested in Hyperflexible Systems, you want people to interact with it, project themselves into it, have fun with a variety of options. So you should prioritize it feeling good. For others, to mess around with, and also for yourself, to use as a basis for other things. Your own characters are going to make use of this System after all, so making it engaging, diverse, and interesting, may just help you come up with different and interesting people to populate your work.

Fun, feeling good! I may sound like a broken record, I am certain I have said this in prior Essays, but that is the creative core I adhere to. Even when things are bleak, even when you're touching upon serious and intense topics, if not outright enjoyment, it should lead to catharsis. And given I don't think Categorization Systems lend themselves too much to catharsis and heaviness without risking misleading people going through tough times, this enjoyment should be seen as a driving force for what you're doing.

You're making a Superhero story? How do those Superpowers work? What is their variety? What rules exist that determine who becomes a Hero and who Doesn't? What are the limits of these powers? This is a Hyperflexible System. Not one power is inherently Evil or Good, there's always different ways to even use the exact same basic power. Expand, iterate, and make it fun to fantasize about having cool powers.

You're working on a Sci-Fi setting? What Alien species are there? Do people have Cyber-augments of any kind? Are there robots of some kind? This is a Hyperflexible System. Humankind's imagination and creativity is infinite, and when you open up the cosmos, and other, non-Human species? This only becomes more prominent. In one world, we already find an infinity of possibilities, why wouldn't the entire Universe be the same? Why would every Alien operate just as Humankind does? Why would every member of a very varied race be basically the same with a slightly different coat, when Humans get to be as different as the Night and the Day? Open the door, and your mind, to a literal Universe of potential.

And what about a Fantasy world? We're dealing with Magic, and fantastical creatures! With the ability to manipulate elements and bend reality to one's will, so many new avenues the real world can't deal with open up. Variety. Iteration. Openness. Having fun. Time and time and time again. No matter the base of the setting or the world. If you include this 'customization' people can project onto? Don't be afraid to go wild. To add exceptions. Don't be afraid to break customs and tropes whenever needed. Not for the sake of subversion. But because everyone's world is too unique to make bland, restrictive, alienating categories.

Just go hog wild. Just go fucking apeshit.

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Example & Shilling

Ah. To wrap up the Essay, I would like to talk about a System of my own, because I love to run my mouth about my own projects and ideas, if you haven't noticed that before, but also, because I felt providing my own perspective on a project I built from the ground up could give some insight to my process, and my whole idea on "just having fun" and "being expansive and diverse".

So. Arathia. A Fantasy Setting I've been working on for years, and the basis of much of my thoughts and theories on creativity. One day I may elaborate about it and share it with all of you more in detail, but back when I first ideated this whole setting, my motto was Customization and Diversity.

It started as a concept for an MMO in my head, all things considered, so that helped make it Hyperflexible as it has become, but MMO, novel, comic, whatever form this may end up taking in a future, my basis was the same: Fantasy Worlds... Are fun? I'd like to fuck around with a world, a setting, I could see myself living in. Not just myself, but a world that lends itself to making OCs, and telling a variety of interesting and cool stories, with Magic and bullshit like that.

So of course, Fantasy Worlds have Fantasy Races, and Magic. There's elves! And orcs! And fae! And werewolves and other such hybrids because I am a furry and love monster people, duh. As for Magic, I went with a 12-Element System, and no it wasn't a Homestuck Reference, it was a complete coincidence that later retroactively became a Homestuck Reference once I got into it, shut up.

However, I always felt as though I was missing some species. I have Kitsunes and people with dog ears! But... What if someone wants to make something more niche, like... A squirrel? It doesn't feel like this would be popular enough to warrant a whole unique Species Slot, but also, I like Blazblue, and Makoto Nanaya is cute. So... Maybe I could have a 'Beastkin' category that becomes an umbrella for these exceptions, for example.

Variation, diversity, this 'mutability' of how much variety there can be among Beastkin then made me think about the origin of these species, how they are all Humanoid. Maybe they could share a common Ancestor! Suddenly this variety of species comes from a canonically large rate of Mutation among the inhabitants of my world, which in turn explains these more niche 'sub-species' that don't have many of their own. Even more, common Ancestor? Similar genetics. Even with such a large amount of divergence, surely exceptions exist in which their offspring can mix and lead to wholly new possibilities.

I wanted to add variety for fun, to cater to my tastes. This led to me coming up with a fun backstory for my species, that accounts for this large variety, and led to me creating 'umbrellas' and catch-alls that'd allow people to make just about any character they would want and still be 'canon-compliant' in one way or another.

What about Magic, too? 12 Elements is a lot compared to say, the 4 Classic Elements, but when you consider them as 'Magic Powers', there's not THAT much variety! But... What if they can combine with each other, for example? Water, and Fire? Well, that is just Steam, baby! The mixing of Elements leads to considering how something like Fire can mix with something more abstract, like, Time or Mind. Suddenly, Fire is not simply Fire. It is Heat, but also, it can tie into the idea of consumption, or forwardness and relentlessness. Fire. Offense. Victory. All I wanted was to make a cool variety of powers. Suddenly, this made me think deeper about what 'Fire' means, and now I have the basis for various concepts a 'Fire Deity' would fall under.

See where I am going with this? Why I love having fun with a setting. Why I love being open-minded and fucking around with the Hyper Flexibility of these Systems? I went in with the intention of having fun and being varied, accounting for various things I like. And in doing so, my system naturally led me down a rabbit hole of world building, that settled some really large bases of my world. Interaction between races, cultural influence, religion, scopes of powers and diversity of the inhabitants.

And as I have shared my ideas with my friends? They've liked these ideas, and wanted to make OCs of their own! Using the various species, using the cool Magic. Not because "Oh, my setting is just So Good", but because it's diverse and lends itself to just, telling fun stories with so many characters, and so many variables!

I make these World Building Essays, because this is seriously a passion of mine. A Hyperfixation. I love creating, I love creative ideas, I love fucking around with stories and characters! And while having a set path you want to follow is good, while being concise and to the point can be very good? Often times people can adhere too strictly, or follow tropes that they consider immutable, which can end up making fan interaction with the setting less appealing. Stale.

A story that gets from point A to point B is more than okay, and if you want to simply tell a character-driven narrative, that is 100% alright. But when it comes to exploring the world around the characters, and showcasing something bigger than just the particular narrative taking place? Striving to make things open, accessible and varied, can truly elevate a world, from interesting, to truly Magical.

And with that out of the way, I hope you all enjoyed hearing me ramble about this.

And as always...

See you next time! <3