Now, world-building in general can be hard to turn into a story, but this was history, and even about a war, with a central character. (A reflection on GameLit world-building, so some structure there.)
But just because it was of world-shaking importance to him as well as to the world doesn't mean it lent itself to a character arc. I may even introduce a love interest to give it form.
And there are still world-building questions. For instance, this world must have, for the plot, both elves and humans. But just elves and humans? It's not like I have to leave avenues open in case players decide to explore the venues I haven't thought of, or are really wed to the notion of a certain race for their character, but -- world-building that is too on-the-nose, exactly fitting the plot, makes the world unreal, and thin. Dwarves would help open it up.
AND, because it has elves, it can't be in the same universe as the other GameLit ideas I am working on. So it would be nice to make it differ in other ways, to keep the readers awake. For instance, the religion. And while it will still be a monotheistic religion that allows a vast number of domains (on the theological grounds, probably, that it's so people have need of each other), it's probably going to reflect thematically on the plot. Once I decide what the plot is.
Meanwhile, even though pushing and pulling has gotten the main character a bit better formed -- he's a dragon-slayer -- I still don't know what class he is. As for the rest of his party, well, one's a trickster and so probably a rogue. The others? Blanks.
sigh