HELLO I am not sure if you’ve already answered this somewhere BUT for the worldbuilding Wednesday: what is the situation re: energy and transportation in your world? How do people get around and what sort of resources do they need to do it/live their everyday lives?
Oh HELLO THERE!
So, energy varies depending on location. The Stonebreaker world is still pretty staunchly fire-lit (via hearths, lamps, sconces, chandeliers, etc) or reliant on natural lighting in most places, but if you are wealthy you can afford weave-lights (which are typically cylinders to which weavers have applied glyph strings, resulting in a steady pale glow). The only issue is they can’t really be turned on and off, so most of the time they are kept in sealed containers or covered until they are needed. They will eventually need to be replenished, but should last up to a few months, depending on the skill of the weaver.
Transportation is pretty standard. Most folks get about either on foot or on horse/mule if they can afford it. Wagons can often be found running the trade routes, so you could probably bum a ride on one of those if you don’t look like a disheveled roadside murderer. Some trade and transport is also done by sea, but as the oceans are dangerous, most would rather take longer and travel more safely by land. Majority of people don’t travel too far from their home towns/villages/cities/etc., so travel is more just between neighbouring towns or to local market fairs. Most towns are located reasonably close together (usually along a water source or near a lake), but moving between these residential ‘hubs’ or out to more isolated locations is where it starts to get a bit daunting and difficult.
In terms of what you’d need to do it, if you’re planning to travel long-distance, you’d be best to hire guards, even if you’re not travelling with particularly valuable goods. While the land is not as deadly as the sea, there are still many dangers, especially if you don’t know the terrain or the wildlife. This is one of the factors that prevents most people from travelling long-distance, because hiring protection ain’t cheap. So, you either go broke, or risk it alone, and most aren’t particularly willing to do either without good reason.
Nobility typically travel on horseback or in covered carriages, and never without a small army of household guards marching alongside. When one approaches, it often takes up majority of the road, and other travellers are expected to move aside. This has made for some awkward stand-offs when two noble carriages cross paths.