Prompt Cookbook #4 —Fantasy, Time Travel & Mythology

Hey there, explorers of the imaginary and seekers of the unreal! Welcome back for another dive into PromptDervish Cookbook #4. If you’ve frolicked through our earlier cookbooks, you know the drill. This one’s another treasure trove, a Pandora’s box of inspiration, ready to spark those neurons and set your Generative AI prompts on fire. No particular order to this chaos — just flip to whatever tickles your fantasy or fuels your mythology. Let’s make those AI-generated artscape dreams come alive, shall we?

Fantasy & Mythology

Epic Adventures

Alien Civilizations

• Types: Humanoid, insectoid, aquatic, ethereal
• Settings: Distant planets, motherships, intergalactic empires
• Activities: Diplomacy, invasion, trade, exploration
• Mood: Futuristic, mysterious, awe-inspiring, alien
• Examples:

“First contact with a benevolent alien civilization.”

“Humans trying to navigate the complex politics of an intergalactic empire.”

Epic Quests

• Types: Treasure hunt, pilgrimage, rescue mission, rite of passage
• Settings: Fantasy worlds, ancient ruins, mystical forests
• Activities: Sword fights, deciphering maps, facing trials
• Mood: Adventurous, heroic, challenging, suspenseful
• Examples:

“A group of adventurers seeking an ancient artifact to save their kingdom.”

“A lone wanderer embarking on a pilgrimage to gain wisdom.”

Fairy Tales

• Types: Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel
• Settings: Enchanted forests, castles, cottages, magical realms
• Activities: Falling in love, facing evil, breaking spells
• Mood: Whimsical, enchanting, romantic, timeless
• Examples:

“A modern retelling of a Cinderella story in a futuristic setting.”

“A twisted version of Little Red Riding Hood where she’s the hunter.”

Realm of Dreams

• Types: Lucid dreams, nightmares, visions, astral projection
• Settings: Dream landscapes, surreal cities, shifting realities
• Activities: Soul-searching, facing fears, solving puzzles
• Mood: Dreamy, surreal, abstract, mind-bending
• Examples:

“A journey through a dreamland to find a lost memory.”

“Adventurers navigating a landscape shaped by collective human dreams.”

Sorcery Schools

• Types: Alchemy, elemental magic, dark arts, divine magic
• Settings: Magic academies, enchanted libraries, secret chambers
• Activities: Spellcasting, duels, examinations, quests
• Mood: Mystical, academic, competitive, empowering
• Examples:

“Students at a magic school embroiled in a mystery.”

“An outcast at a sorcery school discovering an ancient, forbidden spell.”

Steampunk Fantasy

• Types: Airships, steam engines, clockwork, automatons
• Settings: Victorian cities, flying fortresses, subterranean worlds
• Activities: Inventing, exploring, rebelling, solving crimes
• Mood: Industrial, nostalgic, gritty, imaginative
• Examples:

“A crew of airship pirates seeking lost treasure.”

“A steampunk city powered by a mysterious, ancient technology.”

Time Travel Adventures

• Types: Paradoxes, alternate timelines, historical events, future dystopias
• Settings: Prehistoric eras, future cities, significant historical moments
• Activities: Preventing disasters, solving mysteries, changing history
• Mood: Exciting, complex, dangerous, mind-bending
• Examples:

“Travelers going back to medieval times to recover a stolen artifact.”

“A person from the past trying to navigate a high-tech future society.”

Futuristic Servants

• Types: AI maids, robotic butlers, telepathic valets, nano-cleaners
• Settings: Smart homes, futuristic estates, space stations, virtual realms Activities: Advanced cleaning, data management, personal care, telepathic communication
• Mood: Efficient, futuristic, devoted, impersonal
• Examples:

“An AI maid efficiently managing a smart home’s daily chores while the owner attends virtual meetings.”

“A telepathic valet predicting the owner’s needs and fulfilling them even before they’re expressed.”

Futuristic Transportation

• Types: Hyperloop trains, self-flying cars, teleportation stations, interstellar ships
• Settings: Futuristic stations, sky highways, orbital docks, cityscapes
• Activities: Teleporting, piloting, commuting, space traveling
• Mood: Fast-paced, awe-inspiring, sleek, advanced
• Examples:

“A hyperloop train darting through a tunnel at supersonic speeds, connecting distant cities in minutes.”

“A self-flying car weaving through a sky highway filled with similarly futuristic vehicles.”

Futuristic Mythology

• Types: Cybernetic gods, AI oracles, virtual afterlives, techno-spirits
• Settings: Virtual temples, data sanctuaries, ethereal landscapes, cosmic realms
• Activities: Digital divination, cosmic coding, virtual worshipping, astral travel
• Mood: Mystical, futuristic, awe-inspiring, transcendental
• Examples:

“A cybernetic god ruling over a virtual Olympus, interacting with its worshipers through avatars.”

“An AI oracle, residing in a hidden data sanctuary, offering cryptic predictions of the future.”

Architecture of 2223

• Types: Floating cities, biodomes, space habitats, eco-skyscrapers
• Settings: Above oceans, interstellar space, urban jungles, underground layers
• Activities: Urban farming, space commuting, energy harvesting, immersive designing
• Mood: Innovative, sustainable, futuristic, harmonious
• Examples:

“A floating city above the ocean, complete with skyscrapers and urban farms, pioneering a new era of architecture.”

“A biodome on Mars serving as a sanctuary for both humans and other Earth life forms.”

Underworld Journeys

• Types: Hell, purgatory, the land of the dead, parallel dimensions
• Settings: Lava lakes, haunted forests, endless mazes
• Activities: Soul-saving, facing demons, finding redemption
• Mood: Dark, perilous, transformative, eerie
• Examples:

“A hero descending into the underworld to rescue their lost love.”

“A journey through the underworld as a rite of passage to become a great warrior.”

Enchanted Beings

Banshees

• Types: Wailing, silent, mournful, vengeful
• Settings: Haunted castles, Irish moors, misty forests
• Activities: Foretelling doom, avenging deaths, wailing
• Mood: Eerie, haunting, mysterious, melancholic
• Examples:

“A banshee who breaks tradition by trying to prevent the deaths she foresees.”

“A detective investigating a murder said to be foretold by a banshee.”

Elves

• Types: High elves, wood elves, dark elves, snow elves
• Settings: Elven cities, enchanted forests, mystical islands
• Activities: Archery, magic, diplomacy, exploration
• Mood: Regal, serene, wise, secretive
• Examples:

“A high elf prince seeking to prove his worth through a daring quest.”

“A dark elf defying her clan to bring peace between elven races.”

Fae and Nymphs

• Types: Water nymphs, forest fairies, sylphs, pixies
• Settings: Enchanted meadows, hidden glens, fairy rings
• Activities: Granting wishes, playing tricks, protecting nature
• Mood: Whimsical, mischievous, ethereal, magical
• Examples:

“A fairy caught in a scheme to overthrow the Fairy Queen.”

“A nymph seeking to save her home from environmental destruction.”

Gnomes

• Types: Garden gnomes, forest gnomes, tinker gnomes
• Settings: Undergrounds, gardens, workshops
• Activities: Crafting, guarding, mining, inventing
• Mood: Industrious, playful, reclusive, curious
• Examples:

“A gnome inventor creating a machine that could change their world.”

“A garden gnome going on an adventure to find a legendary flower.”

Mermaids

Mermaids can be hit or miss, it helps to add tail information in your prompt to make sure that is included. This is a place where aspect ratio becomes more important, there is a better chance of getting more of your mermaid into the shot with an aspect ratio of 2:3 or 9:16

• Types: Sirens, water sprites, ocean guardians
• Settings: Underwater kingdoms, coral reefs, sunken ships
• Activities: Singing, swimming, treasure-hunting, socializing
• Mood: Mystical, adventurous, seductive, curious
• Examples:

“A mermaid falling in love with a human and facing the consequences.”

“A mermaid princess embroiled in a political conspiracy.”

Below I will add mention of the tail and change the aspect ratio one is square and the other is the same prompt with only the aspect ratio changed to 2:3

A mermaid with a shimmering emerald tail lounging on a rock; framed by an ocean sunset

Note how it took the word “framed” quite literally here. That word can sometimes get in the way.

An adventurous mermaid with a fiery red tail, swimming alongside a school of tropical fish

A playful mermaid with a vibrant, tie-dyed tail splashing around in sun-dappled shallow waters

This is not to discourage you from mermaids, just be aware there will be some rerolling before you get to exactly what you want. Using Vary(Region) can help as you can try for a different tail on your mermaid.

Shape-shifters

• Types: Werewolves, kitsune, druids, selkies
• Settings: Modern cities, ancient forests, magical realms
• Activities: Transforming, blending in, hunting, self-discovery
• Mood: Mysterious, thrilling, transformative, duality
• Examples:

“A shape-shifter spy infiltrating an enemy kingdom.”

“A shape-shifter struggling with their identity in a world that fears them.”

Unicorns

Unicorns have gotten better over time but you will still occasionally get one with two horns or one facing backward toward the rider. Rerolling or using Vary(Region) can help.

• Types: Classic, winged, elemental, dark unicorns
• Settings: Magical forests, enchanted castles, otherworldly plains
• Activities: Healing, questing, granting wishes
• Mood: Majestic, pure, fantastical, inspiring
• Examples:

“A unicorn embarking on a quest to find its lost twin.”

“A cynical unicorn who has lost faith in purity embarks on a journey of redemption.”

Vampires

• Types: Classical, day-walkers, aristocratic, savage
• Settings: Gothic castles, modern cities, secluded villages
• Activities: Hunting, scheming, seducing, surviving
• Mood: Dark, sensual, mysterious, timeless
• Examples:

“A young vampire learning the ropes in a complicated undead society.”

“An ancient vampire seeking a cure to regain their mortality.”

Werewolves

• Types: Lone wolves, pack wolves, cursed, warrior
• Settings: Forests, urban sprawls, mountains
• Activities: Howling, hunting, protecting, raging
• Mood: Feral, social, conflicted, aggressive
• Examples:

“A werewolf pack defending its territory from a new supernatural threat.”

“A werewolf detective solving crimes in a world of mixed supernatural beings.”

Witches and Warlocks

• Types: Elemental, dark, white witches, necromancers
• Settings: Coven gatherings, solitary huts, academies
• Activities: Spellcasting, brewing potions, gathering ingredients
• Mood: Mystical, dark, wise, rebellious
• Examples:

“A young witch discovering her powers while solving a local mystery.”

“A warlock seeking to reclaim his stolen magic from a rival.”

Knights and Castles

• Types: Round Table knights, rogue knights, castle sieges, jousting tournaments
• Settings: Stone castles, medieval courts, battlefields, mystical forests Activities: Sword fighting, courtly love, defending the realm, attending feasts
• Mood: Chivalrous, dramatic, heroic, mysterious
• Examples:

“A Round Table knight on a quest to retrieve a magical artifact, tested by various challenges.”

“A rogue knight infiltrating a castle to rescue a kidnapped prince or princess.”

Dystopian Futures

• Types: Post-apocalyptic, totalitarian regimes, cyberpunk, eco-catastrophe
• Settings: Ruined cities, underground communities, cybernetic landscapes, wastelands
• Activities: Rebellion, hacking, scavenging, surviving
• Mood: Grim, hopeless, rebellious, thrilling
• Examples:

“A band of rebels plotting to overthrow a totalitarian regime from their hidden base.”

“A lone survivor scavenging in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, always on the lookout for danger.”

Robot Uprisings

• Types: Rogue AIs, rebel androids, enslaved robots, human sympathizers Settings: Futuristic cities, robot factories, cybernetic battlefields, underground hideouts
• Activities: Hacking, combat, subterfuge, strategic planning
• Mood: Tense, thrilling, futuristic, revolutionary
• Examples:

“A rogue AI initiating a master plan to overthrow human governance.”

“A rebel android leading a group of freedom fighters to liberate enslaved robots.”

Fairy-Tale Reversals

• Types: Reimagined heroes, villain protagonists, twisted tales, unexpected allies
• Settings: Dark forests, alternate magical kingdoms, subverted castles, enchanted mazes
• Activities: Plotting, role reversal, questing, breaking curses
• Mood: Intriguing, surprising, whimsical, thought-provoking
• Examples:

“A Cinderella who uses her magical gifts to take revenge on the royal family.”

“A wolf and Little Red Riding Hood teaming up to expose the villainous huntsman.”

Ancient Gods

• Types: Olympian gods, Norse gods, Egyptian gods, mesoamerican gods
• Settings: Mount Olympus, Valhalla, pyramids, celestial realms
• Activities: Cosmic battles, divine interventions, mythical quests, shape-shifting
• Mood: Majestic, awe-inspiring, mysterious, wrathful
• Examples:

“Zeus joining forces with Poseidon to combat a rising threat to Mount Olympus.”

“Odin seeking wisdom through a perilous quest, testing his limits.”

Ancient Goddesses

• Types: Fertility goddesses, warrior goddesses, underworld goddesses, wisdom goddesses
• Settings: Sacred groves, moonlit temples, underworld gates, heavenly palaces
• Activities: Rituals, blessings, curses, guidance
• Mood: Sacred, empowering, ethereal, nurturing
• Examples:

“Athena guiding a young hero through a labyrinth to confront a minotaur.”

“Persephone transitioning between her roles as queen of the underworld and goddess of spring.”

Zombie Apocalypse

• Types: Slow zombies, fast zombies, intelligent zombies
• Settings: Abandoned cities, underground bunkers, islands
• Activities: Surviving, scavenging, fighting, fleeing
• Mood: Terrifying, desperate, adrenaline-pumping, bleak
• Examples:

“Survivors of a zombie apocalypse finding refuge in a seemingly abandoned mall.”

“A group of scientists working on a cure in a world overrun by zombies.”

Mythical Realms

• Types: Fairy-tale kingdoms, enchanted forests, mystical lands, legendary empires
• Settings: Castle courtyards, hidden temples, dragon lairs, elemental domains
• Activities: Questing, magical battles, treasure-hunting, kingdom building
• Mood: Epic, fantastical, adventurous, wondrous, enchanting
• Examples:

“An enchanted forest where the flora and fauna possess ancient wisdom.”

“A legendary empire filled with mythical beasts and untold riches.”

Centaurs

Centaurs are possible in Midjourney but they are not easy, perhaps Midjourney v6 will do a better job when it finally arrives. Female centaurs are doubly hard and tend to be clothed inappropriately a lot of the time. But for completion here are some words for inspiration. The Niji engine of Midjourney does a much better job, see below for details.

• Centaur Types: Warrior centaurs, scholarly centaurs, forest guardian centaurs, mystic centaurs
• Settings: Enchanted forests, mountain ranges, centaur villages, ancient battlefields Activities: Archery contests, herb gathering, philosophical debates, guarding sacred sites
• Mood: Noble, inquisitive, mystical, vigilant Additional Details: Bow and arrows, enchanted herbs, ancient scrolls, tribal markings
• Examples:

“A scholarly centaur deeply engrossed in reading an ancient scroll, surrounded by the tranquility of an enchanted forest.”

“A warrior centaur participating in an intense archery contest, aiming to defend the honor of their tribe.”

Note the complete failure on the first run. You are most likely to get a person with a horse, or running next to one, or astride. Centaurs are a lot of work and not something I recommend for a beginner. Perhaps I will devote a whole article to it because it is such an in-depth process. I had better luck with the Niji engine, which can be accessed by adding --niji 5 to the end of your Midjourney prompt.

“Female chibi centaur adorable — niji v5 ”

Notice we are closer right out of the gate, a few rerolls and some vary region might get it done. Note that it is two hypens before Niji not that long one that Medium insists on changing it into.