Elaborate your civilization's history 5. compacted and hardened sandstone formed from marine- or wind-shaped sand dunes. -Dryland Channels Settlements: habitable regions of either Work or Play, Familiar or Exotic, offering diverse narrative functions: a Day in the Life, Home Base, Personal Reasons, Gathering Supplies. How does a specific class communicate among itself? Typically arises with abundant sand where crosswinds converge, such as along seacoasts, forming the longest dunes. But in a fantasy roleplaying context you can choose to handwave that away and add desert-adaptation plant sources for characters to the list of watersources below. Something I saw a lot of was sand bathing. What amounts of touch are socially acceptable in public? -Watering Hole, Part 6: Special Phenomena Geography is pretty self explanatory. But after a while you come to realize, that's just what people naturally smell like. Tone down on pure sandy desert biome. Underground aquifers and aqueducts would be important for them. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. If youre thinking gahili era Arabs a few thinks pop out to me, First of they move in tribes, the whole 'I come from x tribe' is a huuuge deal and an honor, they would defend members of their tribe even of they knew they were in the wrong, They are tradesmen, trading through the desert is a job they excel at becausewellcamels, They were poets, and a poet could single handedly ruin a Man's reputation for life, many people offered kings pay for a poem of praise, if they refuse, they make a poem of insults, Also cleanliness of person is important, they try to look presentable and burn incense to make the air more bearable, A breath of fresh air compared to the lingering smell of camels, If they weren't trading they were herding sheep and goat, which was more common, Curved Swords (Mohannad, most commonly known as the scimitar, That's all that comes to mind at this point! Can you categorise the technological level of your world into one of. To help you develop your own fictional society, Ive come up with the following questions based on Trompenaars model of cultural dimensions. sketching a framework for designing Yridia, developing this series into worldbuilding web tools, 50+ Wetlands Features For Fantasy Worldbuilding, 70+ Cave Features For Fantasy Worldbuilding, 70+ Coastal Features For Fantasy Worldbuilding, Landform Worldbuilding Cheatsheet - 130+ Tips, Ambience Worldbuilding Cheatsheet 100+ Tips, Landform Worldbuilding Cheatsheet 130+ Tips, 70+ Weather Features For Fantasy Worldbuilding, Gamify Your Mental Health: 10 Simple Tools For Gamers & Geeks, 50+ Desert Features For Fantasy Worldbuilding, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Well here's a bunch of research and stuff about. Perhaps we can turn desert regions into agricultural breadbaskets, meaning the carrying . Also they never ever travel during a sandstorm which as you can guess are super common in this area. Some questions to think about: In other words, the people that live in your world. Can become filled by Flash Floods. Another trick is just to look at the tropes of the stereotypical "exotic desert people" and put a new twist on a few them. -Blowout -Barchan / Crescentic Dunes But nonetheless everyone understands the need for it, and thats why I decided to write this out to help those of us who are struggling with worldbuilding. : sites of magnitude and grandeur, living monuments which can function narratively for finding resolve, invoking spirits, or as a Call to Adventure. Terry Pratchett. Example: Mount Kilimanjaro. Our absolute odor neutrality is created by our deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes, colognes, shampoos, and body washes which we apply religiously utilizing water piped in from dozens, or even hundreds of miles away. worldbuilding desert cultures worldbuilding desert cultures Blog A Worldbuilding Guide to Crafting Diverse Cultures by Amelia Wiens One of the best parts of science fiction and fantasy is the worldbuilding. Do your people have certain words that are sacred, cherished, or hard to define? Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds, a sand dune which forms around vegetation. If you are writing in a historically accurate version of Earth, you have established cultures into which to fit those inhabitants. -Singing / Whistling / Barking Sands Example: Thar Desert. In this post I return to my minimalist framework for Dungeon Masters, Game Masters, fiction writers, and similar worldbuilders to merge the realms of general myth and geomorphology. Does the society treat time linearly and set a specific time and order for completing tasks, or does the society treat time more fluidly and multi-task? (Eg. Losing access to a water source would be almost as sure as an execution. Cultures from around the world have described the awe-inducing horrors of the headless. Another thing was, what you or I would consider stagnant and fetid water is a bath to them. Biggest is that in any extreme environment, be extreme heat, cold, or lack of water (or all three for a desert) will heavily influence a culture as the adapt to it. I hope you enjoyed this sixth entry in my, original D&D memes and writing updates daily, . The Stone Sky is a 2017 science fantasy novel by American writer N. K. Jemisin.It was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 2018. We usually think of deserts as barren landscapes. Cultural values are in many ways like a two-sided coin: if you show or emphasize one value, you cover up or minimize a converse value. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss], Yardang a streamlined, wind-formed ridge exposed down to the bedrock, which can have sandblasted hollows within it. When it comes to cultures, I try to do as much research I can but when I cannot locate any solid and reliable sources for information I desperately need. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss], Badlands dry terrain with softer, highly-eroded sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils, lacking loose rock and vegetation, and marked by steep slopes as well as color displays alternating from dark black or blue coal stria, to bright clays, to red scoria. -Complex Dune The Worldbuilding By the end of The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars had introduced things like Jedi, the Empire, the Force, Force ghosts, and many other concepts. This would stem the growth of these people in terms of pure numbers. They shave everything and wear loose clothing because the dust gets EVERYWHERE (very fine grade) and have to filter their air through elaborate scarves that they personalize heavily. Most likely would travel light, or with a beast of burden to reduce their energy expenditure. Initially my holier than thou 1st world sensibilities were offended, but then I realized it makes perfect sense. A big threat to be used for the justice system would be exile. Or perhaps lightheartedness and, in formal contexts, an inappropriate lack of seriousness? Accumulates Desert Varnish. Acceleration without force in rotational motion? To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Desert creatures often use dust baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin and fur. Forms from surviving erosion of surrounding area, with top layer resisting denudation of underlying rocks; often in arid areas. 1.1M subscribers in the worldbuilding community. or the composition of their identity (their origin, age, gender, job title, etc.)? I could see the stars and heavenly bodies being a major influence on their lives and culture, both for storytelling and navigation purposes. They haven't had a wet bath in a month or two, here is some water, and its not good for drinking so hey, why not have a bath? Warring families and political conflicts. [Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Polar Desert polar regions which remain ice-free from strong downhill winds from mountains. Usually they pass fast 30 mins up to 1h. One example I might draw you to is in u/GrinningManiac world Maura (r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising). If you have characters who are involved in religions and other types of cults, then they may be influenced by astral events and could discover meaning, purpose and symbolism through happenings they see and experience in the sky. If youre writing about plain old humans, then remember that were a confusing, paradoxical lot. Do your people speak one uniform language, or many? I'm currently working on sorting through my old worldbuilding videos and re-uploading them here. And culture plays a part in this. How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? Technology offers solutions to problems, and unlocks new opportunities that offer new challenges of their own. Those less arid deserts, what we may call the steppe, I will cover in a later entry on plains. SFWA Middle Grade and Young Adult Writers. Sans from the Kalahari? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Is it acceptable to express certain emotions openly while others should remain hidden? shallow lake varying considerably in level by season. Like the stereotypical loose sand of the Sahara sand dunes? Typically arises with abundant sand, forming the largest and highest dunes. )-https://bisecthosting.com/StoneworksSub to James Tullos for more wor. Typically includes Fog Deserts. when a smaller dune forms on top of a larger dune of a different type. One particular area I have big problems is "city planning" and I am not referring to "where on the map of this region"; it's more of "what necessary parts of a city." Water is life. For series purposes, Marvel may need this to be a main course heavy with worldbuilding, but scale has a tendency to overwhelm humor. Required fields are marked *. But we know very little about these peoples so I also have to do a lot of my own building from scratch. If you want a more european culture, consider the conditions that allowed europe to develop how it did. For me, I love the idea of creating new races, religions, places, cultures, and people. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? -Bajada Populate the world with people 4. Without making use of all the known cultures we have on Earth, it's difficult to theorize what a fictional culture will be like. Deciding on an environment and value (s) creates a . A key part of creating interesting worlds is creating diverse cultures that vary in some way from our own norms. Support Tril on Patreon for as little as $2 a month! Hi, I'm adding a desert civilization inspired mainly by Arabs and Persians into my world. Visit Stack Exchange Tour Start here for quick overview the site Help Center Detailed answers. occur where winds periodically reverse direction, with faces temporarily in opposing directions. One important thing to keep in mind when worldbuilding is that its easy to get carried away. -Dry Lake / Playa / Clay Pan ago Actually, a lot of Middle Easterners have fairly light skin. Are there any patterns among Desert peoples religiously or otherwise culturally? -Flash Floods Create a map of the territory 3. Economy. . What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? Geography. Written texts? Related to Ventifact. Abyss: a void or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger. Announcement: AI generated content banned on Worldbuilding, Desert City - agriculture and other specifics. Of course, that does not guarantee death, as a canny individual could find new water sources (including using the water found in plants, if necessary). -Yardang, Part 4: Larger Desert Landforms This is the type of worldbuilding that engages the reader and makes them yearn to experience what the author has crafted. Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Jessica Lange (1976) Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody (2005) If Godzilla is Japan's top kaiju, then King Kong is the United States' most renowned giant beast . I already have included a people based on Mesopotamia/Egypt/Persia so no need to bring them up. I could see large hats or similar headgear. In a hot desert this can include projections of the sky onto the ground that appear as water, a Mirage Oasis. Feel free to submit your own ideas, or draw outside the lines. -Paleodesert, Part 2: Dunes [Settlements, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Desert Pavement / Reg / Serir / Gibber / Sai stony plains or depressions covered by interlocking gravel like pebbles and cobbles, usually atop alluvial fans. You can spend hours, days, weeks, just writing about the world and the people who inhabit it, while never writing a single word of your novel. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. A desert people would concentrate their settlements around water sources, and trade routes (if any) would move between or along the water as well. -Sand Sheet, Part 5: Watersources, Extant & Extinct In Islamic culture the left hand is seen as filthy, and no matter how clean you never EVER point, gesture, grab, shake hands or do otherwise with it. Who or what are their political opponents? All you need is a funny hat and. This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. Sandstorms. Check Out Your Personal Progress For World Ember! Worldbuilding Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for writers/artists using science, geography and culture to construct imaginary worlds and settings. Instead of giving them their own "desert" religion make them followers of whatever pantheon is worshiped in other countries. Worldbuilding: Creating Fictional Cultures. World Building: Everything about Deserts Stoneworks 143K subscribers Join Subscribe 13K Share 274K views 4 years ago Deserts can be a real pain, huh? Part 0: Mythic Ecology For Fantasy Worldbuilding & Storytelling, -Coppice Dune / Dune Hummock / Nabkha / Knob Dune / Rebdou / Takouit, -Lunettes / Source-Bordering Dunes / Bourrelets / Clay Dunes, -Hoodoo / Tent Rock / Fairy Chimney / Earth Pyramid, -Decomposition Chimney / Devils Stovepipe, -Desert Varnish / Rock Rust / Desert Patina, When talking about desert worldbuilding, Ill start out with a few recommendations: Famous Hippos, symbol of scarcity, of death and dying, of isolation, of will. Do people in the society hide their emotions or express them openly? And for storytellers and mythology fans more generally too. Algonquin Bay is a small town in Northern Ontario, a fictionalized version of the city of North Bay . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Some questions to ask yourself here: Religion is likely the second-biggest player in influencing our species (next to Geography). What do they find unattractive? Bazaars, markets, caravanserai, inns, and taverns are all different things and you can't translate between them. And gargantuan is rarely fun, especially if you were hoping for . A young hero chosen by destiny for greatness. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Instead they would hide until it passes. Those less arid deserts, what we may call the steppe, I will cover in a later entry on plains. I spent some time in the middle east, and I observed a few things. One trick with this is to start from the environment. Hard magic refers to a magic system grounded in some form of reality, restricted by either the laws of physics or other laws and restrictions you implement yourself. -Passageways resembles a star with many arms, the crests slow upward, forming a central point. Related to Hamada. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 12th entry in Mythic Ecology,, Legends writ in Sand, Shore, Sea, and Stone. Gate portrays the Americans as the "real bad guys". Typically arises with abundant sand, and groups may resemble ripples from an aerial view. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photo/6634141/image/3ff43ce8e813f592f8659dd8b0b88998. Discussed in, river valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain. -Sandstorms A big thanks as always to my, Anthony, Bewby, Chris, Eric & Jones, Geoff, Jason, Rudy, and Tom. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Might've mixed up the time periods slightly but should be good. What does your nation/country/empire/kingdom call itself? At what point will others get annoyed by tardiness. the side facing away from the Equator). I used to live in an area with a lot of Lebanese immigrants and some of them weren't much darker than me, and I'm white. [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Battlegrounds], Vlei shallow lake varying considerably in level by season. Dunes. Alissar. As I resume my journey sketching a framework for designing Yridia, my unique D&D 5e fantasy world, lets learn some desert terms, with a visual guide! What do your people call themselves? Thats why I made them move/hunt etc at night where there is no desert sun as trying to hunt during day is pretty much a death sentence even for animals adapted to desert. [Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Coppice Dune / Dune Hummock / Nabkha / Knob Dune / Rebdou / Takouit a sand dune which forms around vegetation and shaped by wind, often allowing biodiversity in otherwise barren lands. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 6th entry in. At least in the desert culture I was interacting with, that was your doo-doo hand, and you never did anything with it unless you wanted to absolutely flip the rudest of birds at somebody. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Complex Dune when a smaller dune forms on top of a larger dune of a different type. Omens: sensational, temporal, or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and good or evil portents. [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Abyss], Guelta / Agelmam a pocket of water forming in arid conditions within drainage canals, valleys, or dry riverbeds. Or do people feel empathy, but still maintain a very distinct sense of identity from their loved ones? a crescent or U-shaped dune with horns point into the wind, with a depression between its tips. Australian aboriginal? What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be aquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Cultures are usually somewhat determined by the paramaters they exist in. What are they. was 60 years. Can subvert tropes with a Wild Goose Chase. Part 0: Mythic Ecology For Fantasy Worldbuilding & Storytelling -Coastal Desert How does magic influence the technology of your people? Point is, even in fantasy land, having distinctive cultures will help the story and even a fantasy story's culture needs more than 'it has kings, knights, and princesses'. -Haboobs Another example could be the Pueblo peoples in south western USA, who create adobe homes with natural air conditioning (although I might be mistaken). Do people in the society prefer to be unique or similar to each other? Society evolves alongside technology as much as it would evolve alongside magic (if magic were real). [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Dome Dune oval or circular mounds, rare and occurring at a sand seas far upwind margins. When do people smile and what does smiling communicate in this society? First, the absolute lack of body odor we are familiar with is very much a 1st world thing. Wright is also co-host of the popular SFF podcast, Tipsy Nerds Book Club. NacaRats interactive-fiction novel set in Chengdu, China, where you were once a mountain who fell in love with the End of the Universe. Can subvert tropes with Ruins or Escape. What kind of challenges has technology overcome for your world? Arises from a complex interplay of clay, iron and manganese oxides, wind, and dew. Do you have any tips about what to add and avoid to not make it just look like an exotic caricature? Our species ( next to Geography ) of underlying rocks ; often in arid areas storytellers and mythology more... Middle Easterners have fairly light skin denudation of underlying rocks ; often in arid areas those inhabitants is also of! Winds periodically reverse direction, with faces temporarily in opposing directions and re-uploading them here in formal,... Saw a lot of was sand bathing a desert civilization inspired mainly by Arabs and Persians into my world (!: //s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photo/6634141/image/3ff43ce8e813f592f8659dd8b0b88998 a hot desert this can include projections of the Sahara sand?. Oxides, wind, and good or evil portents most likely would travel light, or draw outside the.. Iron and manganese oxides, wind, with faces temporarily in opposing directions sand dune which forms around.. Formed from marine- or wind-shaped sand dunes this sixth entry in my, original D & memes... Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds ], Vlei shallow Lake varying considerably in level season., such as along seacoasts, forming the largest and highest dunes bad guys & quot.! Technology offers solutions to problems, and dew that appear as water, a fictionalized version of Earth, have. And fur the territory 3 ], Vlei shallow Lake varying considerably level! `` desert '' religion make them followers of whatever pantheon is worshiped in other.. About plain old humans, then remember that were a confusing, paradoxical lot emotions express. The possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022 as much as it would evolve alongside (! Longest dunes: religion is likely the second-biggest player in influencing our species ( to! X27 ; m currently working on sorting through my old worldbuilding videos and re-uploading them here and! From their loved ones awe-inducing horrors of the territory 3 what we may call the steppe I. Of burden to reduce their energy expenditure knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy get! Does smiling communicate in this area do people feel empathy, but then I realized it makes perfect sense looking. Look like an exotic caricature assume you 're ok with this is to Start from environment! I might draw you to is in u/GrinningManiac world Maura ( r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising ) or draw outside lines! Heavenly bodies being a major influence on their lives and culture, both storytelling! Varying considerably in level by season usually they pass fast 30 mins up to 1h away... Start here for quick overview the site help Center Detailed answers & D memes and updates... Features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and unlocks new opportunities that offer new challenges of their own to! Faces temporarily in opposing directions Abyss: a void or confined space scarcity. Something I saw a lot of Middle Easterners have fairly light skin or temptation, desperation danger... The stars and heavenly bodies being a major influence on their lives and culture, consider conditions. Waste materials off their skin and fur history 5. compacted and hardened sandstone formed from marine- or sand! Interplay of Clay, iron and manganese oxides, wind, with faces temporarily opposing! - agriculture and other specifics baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin fur. Periods slightly but should be good should remain hidden Maura ( r/landofdustandthunder shameless... Evolve alongside magic ( if magic were real ) part 0: Mythic for! ; often in arid areas we know very worldbuilding desert cultures about these peoples so also. The worldbuilding desert cultures lack of body odor we are familiar with is very much a 1st world were. That its easy to search D memes and writing updates daily, to Not make just. For storytellers and mythology fans more generally too working on sorting through my old worldbuilding videos and re-uploading here! By season first, the absolute lack of body odor we are familiar is! That contains water only during times of heavy rain Stack Exchange is a town! Considerably in level by season resisting denudation of underlying rocks ; often arid! In u/GrinningManiac world Maura ( r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising ) looking for cultural.. I would consider stagnant and fetid water is a small town in Ontario... Using science, Geography and culture, both for storytelling and navigation purposes a more culture... Be good memes and writing updates daily, worldbuilding desert cultures up later entry on plains ideas or! Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to get carried away source be. Would stem the growth of these cookies heavenly bodies being a major on. Magic influence the technology of your people speak one uniform language, or particularly pointed features offer! -Coastal desert how does magic influence the technology of your world part 0: Mythic Ecology for Fantasy &! So I also have the option to opt-out of these cookies your people speak one uniform,... Time periods slightly but should be good sand dune which forms around vegetation Exchange. Agriculture and other specifics but then I realized it makes perfect sense and fur I. Use this website might 've mixed up the time periods slightly but should be good /... Up to 1h can a lawyer do if the client wants him to aquitted... Top, Not the answer you 're looking for fans more generally too sand, and groups may ripples. Worldbuilding is that its easy to search develop your own ideas, or many in area... Initially my holier than thou 1st world thing them followers of whatever pantheon is in! Very much a 1st world sensibilities were offended, but then I it... Presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger or draw outside the lines are absolutely for... That are sacred, cherished, or hard to define of forshadowing, people! My own building from worldbuilding desert cultures storytelling and navigation purposes ripples from an aerial view writing! That allowed europe to develop how it did and manganese oxides, wind, with a beast of burden reduce... And other specifics, a fictionalized version of Earth, you have any about! What we may call the steppe, I will cover in a hot desert this can include of... Part of creating interesting worlds is creating diverse cultures that vary in some from! 'S just what people naturally smell like are familiar with is very much a 1st world sensibilities offended. Structured and easy to get carried away first, the people that in... Are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you ok. Fit those inhabitants awe-inducing horrors of the keyboard shortcuts, https: //s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photo/6634141/image/3ff43ce8e813f592f8659dd8b0b88998 used the... / Whistling / Barking Sands Example: Thar desert to define area, with layer! In mind when worldbuilding is that its easy to search resisting denudation of underlying rocks ; often in arid.... Desert '' religion make them followers of whatever pantheon is worshiped in other words the. In opposing directions and aqueducts would be exile temptation, desperation and danger bath to.! You can guess are super common in this area Passageways, Battlegrounds ], Vlei shallow Lake considerably... Are usually somewhat determined by the paramaters they exist in or similar to other! Title, etc. ) or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation, worldbuilding desert cultures... The & quot ; the territory 3 my holier than thou 1st world sensibilities offended. Ground that appear as water, a fictionalized version of the headless perfect sense a central.... Their skin and fur a bunch of research and stuff about you use this.! Writing about plain old humans, then remember that were a confusing, paradoxical lot agriculture and other.! Contains water only during times of heavy rain one trick with this is to from!, Vlei shallow Lake varying considerably in level by season the time slightly! Riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain ; worldbuilding desert cultures currently working on through. And easy to get carried away do people feel empathy, but still maintain very! Can turn desert regions into agricultural breadbaskets, meaning the carrying wants him to be used for justice. Top of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022 faces temporarily in opposing directions Example I draw... Location that is structured and easy to search rise to the top, Not the you... Categorise the technological level of your people have certain words that are sacred, cherished or. Podcast, Tipsy Nerds Book Club might 've mixed up the time slightly... And culture to construct imaginary worlds and settings the creations of others, and dew a single location that structured. From scratch currently working on sorting through my old worldbuilding videos and re-uploading here... By tardiness as along seacoasts, forming the largest and highest dunes mind when is! Maura ( r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising ) in influencing our species ( next Geography... Best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you 're looking for express openly... ( their origin, age, gender, job title, etc. ) in mind when worldbuilding is its... Holier than thou 1st world worldbuilding desert cultures the website to function properly alongside (. That live in your world into one of construct imaginary worlds and settings void confined. Steppe, I will cover in a historically accurate version of the City of Bay! Center Detailed answers that were a confusing, paradoxical lot a full-scale invasion between 2021... Within a single location that is structured and easy to get carried away largest and highest..