Ballpoint pen on paper

Sorren, a city surrounding a great tree, built with wood, clay, cloth, rope, and bones. Home to scholars, architects, and engineers determined to make use of the materials they can gather atop the plateaus they rest on.

Would you believe this drawing started out with me wondering how to make an elevator that ran on potential energy? It is probably a good thing I did not pursue a career in engineering since I have no idea if an elevator would be too heavy for that to work. However, whenever I draw a setting like a town, thinking about things like “what if they had flying sailboats and wooden elevators” tends to begin with wondering if there is a way to make flying sailboats or wooden elevators feel feasible.