Building Guidelines
Lean initial build contract and standards for builders.
THERYN
BUILDER GUIDELINES & WORLD DESIGN BIBLE
Version: 1.0
Purpose: This document defines requirements for the initial lean build contract on Theryn.
Builders are creating reusable templates plus one bespoke capital city — not the full endgame world in a single pass.
Core Philosophy
Every build should support one of two themes:
- Civilization
- Mystery
Nothing should feel random.
Nothing should feel decorative without purpose.
Players should constantly ask:
"What was this place for?"
The 70 / 20 / 10 Rule
Every region should consist of:
- 70% Believable World
- 20% Mystery
- 10% Spectacle
Examples
Good:
- Roads
- Farms
- Houses
- Watchtowers
- Ruins
- Archives
Rare:
- Floating Islands
- Ancient Towers
- Remote Shrines
World Scale Goals
This is a lean initial build contract — enough world to feel alive and mysterious without over-scoping the first production pass.
| Quantity | Template |
|---|---|
| 1 | Capital City (Dawnreach) |
| 1 | Player Market |
| 1 | Starter Cave Zone |
| 6 | Minor Ruin Templates |
| 3 | Major Ruin Templates |
| 6 | Floating Island Templates |
| 3 | Ancient Tower Templates |
| 2 | Ancient Tower Variants |
| 6 | Small Discovery Templates |
Not in scope for this contract: sanctuaries, prime archives, puzzle-heavy repositories, bridge/gate/observatory template families, and large multi-template discovery sets.
Structure Size Reference
Use relative size labels for most structures. Final block dimensions will be confirmed in person. Player Market stall footprints are specified below.
| Structure Type | Relative Size | Complexity | Required Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Ruin | Small | Low | Crumbled shrine or building; book stand focal point; knowledge book placement |
| Major Ruin | Medium | Low–Medium | Destroyed ancient small/medium structure; optional light parkour; book stand focal point |
| Floating Island | Small | Low | Island footprint sized for one ruin; unique ancient ruin per island |
| Ancient Tower | Medium | Medium | Dilapidated but usable; optional book stand or lore focal point |
| Ancient Tower Variant | Medium | Medium | Alternate tower silhouette; same usability expectations as base towers |
| Small Discovery | Small | Low | Environmental storytelling only; camps, journals, altars, observation posts |
| Starter Cave Shrine | Medium | Medium | Intact ancient shrine; decorated cave approach; quest entry framing |
| Capital — Residential | Medium | Medium | Lived-in interior; believable room layout |
| Capital — Blacksmith | Medium | Medium | Forge workspace; vendor counter area; complete interior |
| Capital — Tavern | Medium–Large | Medium | Common room; bar area; seating; complete interior |
| Capital — Stable | Medium | Medium | Stalls; tack storage; complete interior |
| Capital — Tailor | Small–Medium | Medium | Workshop; fabric storage; vendor area |
| Capital — Fishing Shop | Small–Medium | Low–Medium | Dock-adjacent preferred; gear storage; vendor area |
| Capital — Butcher | Small–Medium | Medium | Prep area; cold storage feel; vendor counter |
| Capital — Cook / Restaurant | Medium | Medium | Kitchen; dining area; vendor/service layout |
| Capital — Harbor / Dock | Large | Medium | Working dock; pier structures; access to water |
| Capital — Scholar District | Medium | Medium | Study spaces; archive-adjacent feel |
| Capital — Guild Hall | Large | Medium–High | Meeting hall; notice boards; functional rooms |
| Capital — Central Plaza | Large–XL | Medium | Open plaza; city navigation anchor |
| Player Market (building) | Large–XL | Medium–High | Polished market hall or pavilion; 20 player stall bays |
| Player Market — Stall | 10×10 | Low | NPC counter spot; countertop; remaining space left for player decoration |
| Dawnreach (overall) | XL | High | Full city with districts, roads, harbor, player market, and cave path connection |
NPC note: Builders do not create NPCs. Interiors should be laid out as if a vendor or service NPC occupies the building where applicable.
Modular Design Requirement
Templates should be reusable where noted below.
Builders should assume:
A ruin, island, tower, or discovery template may be copied and placed multiple times across the world.
Every template (ruins, islands, towers, discoveries) should include:
- Rotation Support
- Mirror Support
- Lore Placement Locations (book stand / knowledge book hook where applicable)
Capital city buildings are unique placements, not copy-paste templates.
Interior Rule
NO EMPTY SHELLS — but complexity scales by structure type.
Capital City Buildings
Every city building must have:
- Complete Interior
- Functional Layout for its purpose
- Environmental Storytelling
- Vendor-ready layout where applicable (counter, workspace, or service area)
A player should believe someone lives or works there.
Player Market Stalls
The market building must be polished and finished. Individual stalls are a hybrid:
- Builders provide a clean, attractive stall bay within the market
- Each stall includes a defined NPC spot and countertop
- Remaining stall space is intentionally left open for player decoration — do not over-furnish
Ancient Structures (Ruins, Towers, Starter Shrine)
Interiors should match the structure's role:
- Minor Ruins: Simple — one focal room or alcove with a book stand is sufficient.
- Major Ruins: Small interior spaces; traversal can be exterior parkour leading to the book stand.
- Ancient Towers: Usable floors or landings; does not need puzzle rooms.
- Starter Cave Shrine: Intact, well-maintained interior — the exception to "destroyed ancient" styling.
Bad Example
- Large city shop with hollow interior and no purpose
Good Example
- Blacksmith with forge, storage, and a clear vendor counter area
- Minor ruin — collapsed shrine with a single book stand as the clear focal point
Capital City Requirements
Working Name: Dawnreach
Purpose: Player Hub
Theme: Civilization Reborn
World Anchor: Capital city centered at coordinates 0, 0
Environment Template
Dawnreach sits on a stone beach with a forest nearby and a large mountain rising behind the city. Beneath the mountain is a massive cave system — this cave becomes the starter zone where players begin their quest journey.
Builders may modify terrain. However, the terrain should appear naturally generated.
Avoid:
- Giant flat platforms
- Artificial cliffs
- Obvious worldedit scars
Required Terrain Features:
- Stone Beach at the city front
- Natural Harbor with working dock
- Coastal access for fishing and harbor activity
- Forest adjacent to the city
- Large mountain behind the city
- Cave entrance path from behind the city into the mountain cave system
- Road exits leading out of the city
Capital City Scale
Target:
- Reasonably large — enough districts, shops, and streets to feel like a real capital.
Required Shops and Services
Each building below must have a complete interior sized for its role. Layouts should assume an NPC vendor or service role inside where applicable — builders provide the space, not the NPCs.
| Building | Vendor / Role |
|---|---|
| Blacksmith | Weapons, tools, repairs |
| Tavern | Food, drink, gathering |
| Stable | Horses, mounts, tack |
| Tailor | Armor, clothing |
| Fishing Shop | Rods, bait, coastal goods |
| Butcher | Meats, animal products |
| Cook | Prepared food, ingredients |
| Restaurant | Seated dining, meals |
Player Market
Quantity: 1 market building containing 20 stalls
Purpose: Player-run vending — players decorate their own stalls; NPCs handle sales at the counter
Market building:
- Nice, polished, finished construction (hall, pavilion, or covered market — fit the capital style)
- Clear layout with aisles or paths between stall bays
- Feels like a premium civic space, not a temporary tent row
Each stall (×20):
- Footprint: 10×10 blocks
- Required: NPC placement spot + countertop facing customers
- Optional for builders: minimal framing (walls, awning, floor) — keep it clean
- Not required: full shop inventory layout, display cases, or themed decor — players customize everything beyond the counter
Builders do not create NPCs or player assignment logic.
Supporting districts and landmarks:
- Market District
- Player Market (within or adjacent to Market District)
- Scholar District
- Harbor District (dock, piers, waterfront access)
- Residential District
- Guild Hall
- Central Plaza
- Adventurer's Guild (lore-facing hub role)
- Cartographer's Hall (lore-facing hub role)
Harbor and Dock
The city requires a working harbor:
- Dock structures and pier access
- Clear connection between harbor, Market District, Player Market, and Fishing Shop
- Space for future boat or travel hooks (builders do not implement mechanics)
Starter Zone Connection
Behind the city, build a path that leads from the mountain base into the cave system underneath.
Starter Cave Zone requirements:
- Path from the city into the cave entrance
- Decorated cave interior (lighting, natural variation, intentional placement — not a raw tunnel)
- One ancient shrine in good condition (intact, not destroyed) as the focal point
- Clear sense that this is where players begin their quest journey
This starter zone is a single bespoke build, not a copy-paste template.
Starter Cave Zone
Quantity: 1
Location: Inside the mountain cave system behind Dawnreach
Purpose: First quest entry point; tone-setter for ancient mystery without ruin decay
Requirements:
- Approach path from the capital city
- Cave decoration that feels intentional but natural
- Intact ancient shrine (well preserved, sacred, usable)
- Space for future quest scripting (builders place structure only)
- No puzzles required in this contract
Minor Ruin Templates
Quantity: 6 templates
Purpose: Simple knowledge discovery points scattered across the world
Design:
- Small crumbled building or shrine
- Destroyed / ancient aesthetic
- Not large or complex
- No puzzles
Required focal point:
- Book stand with a knowledge book placement location
- Designed so reading the book grants skill points (mechanic added later by dev team)
Each template should be visually distinct enough to avoid repetition when copied.
Major Ruin Templates
Quantity: 3 templates
Purpose: Slightly larger discovery points with optional traversal
Design:
- Small-to-medium destroyed ancient building or shrine
- Same simplicity principles as minor ruins
- Optional light parkour to reach the book stand
- Book stand remains the clear focal point
Required focal point:
- Book stand with knowledge book placement location
Floating Island Templates
Quantity: 6 templates
Purpose: Mystery and remote discovery
Design:
- Islands do not need to be large
- Each island is only big enough to hold one ancient ruin
- Each island gets its own unique ruin design — do not reuse a single default ruin template across all islands
- Safe landing area required
Each island must include:
- Visual hook
- One unique ancient ruin
- Book stand / knowledge focal point (same ruin principles as minor/major ruins)
- Safe approach from landing to ruin
Ancient Tower Templates
Quantity: 3 base templates
Purpose: Landmark structures that feel ancient but still usable
Design:
- Dilapidated but not fully ruined — still climbable and usable
- Medium scale; not megastructures
- Optional book stand or lore focal point on upper floors or summit
Small Discovery Templates
Quantity: 6 templates
Purpose: Lightweight environmental storytelling between major points of interest
Examples:
- Hidden camps
- Lost journals (placement location)
- Small altars
- Observation posts
Design:
- Small footprint
- Low complexity
- No required book stand unless naturally fitting
Ancient Architecture Style
Theme: Dark Monument
Materials:
- Blackstone
- Deepslate
- Basalt
- Polished Blackstone
- Gold Accents
- Copper Accents
- Lava Features (sparingly)
Avoid:
- Bright Colors
- Quartz Dominance
- Modern Shapes
- Cartoon Fantasy
Exception: The starter cave shrine is intact and well preserved — it may read cleaner and less decayed than surface ruins while still using ancient materials.
Environmental Storytelling Requirements
Every build must answer:
- Who used this?
- What was its purpose?
- Why was it abandoned? (or why was it preserved, for intact structures like the starter cave shrine)
- What mystery remains?
Archive Symbol Usage
The Archive Symbol should appear only where meaningful.
Every use should imply:
- Importance
- Purpose
- Connection
- Discovery
Builder Deliverables
Final Package Must Include:
- World Files
- Schematic Files
- Interior Completion