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Create your first world

On a fresh install the Worlds page is empty and offers a sample world, The Blackwater Observatory (a 1912 mountain-town mystery with four characters, places, items, variables and triggers). Add this sample world copies it into your worlds as a world of your own, to play, edit or take apart; it is never overwritten, and it is not offered again once you have it.

To make your own, open Role Play → Worlds, select Create world, and enter:

  • a folder name, used only for storage;
  • a world name, shown to users.

The plugin creates worlds/<folder>/world.json with a stable world ID and opens the shared world editor.

For the smallest playable world:

  1. Add a character.
  2. Set its role to Playable.
  3. Give it a name, summary and starting state.
  4. Add at least one location if spatial play matters.
  5. Write an opening message in world.json if the session should begin with authored narration.

Use the editor for ordinary work. Direct file editing is also supported; refresh the Worlds page after changing files outside DSH. Validation errors are reported with their document paths and prevent an invalid world from starting.

The Author world button opens a dedicated authoring chat in the same workspace. Its mutations require user approval. See Authoring assistant.