> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://civ7community.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Basics and anatomy

> Pop-ups, buttons, and how events link together.

> **Important:**
> This article assumes familiarity with both the basics of [Database Modding](https://civ7community.mintlify.site/official/guides/database-modding) and the [Modifier System](https://civ7community.mintlify.site/official/guides/the-modifier-system). Familiarise yourself with that before diving into modding Narrative Events! And if you have never made a mod before, begin with the [Getting Started](https://civ7community.mintlify.site/official/guides/getting-started.md) article!

**Narrative Events** are a brand-new feature in Civilization VII. You've probably seen them as the various pop-ups that appear as you play.

![](https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/civ7community/civ7-official/modding/guides/images/NarrativeEvent_Vanilla.png)

As the name suggests, they're a great vehicle for narrative, and a great way to bring a sense of life to the game. Now, with the power of modding, you too can bring your own stories into Civilization VII!

# Anatomy of a Narrative Event

We interact with Narrative Events through pop-ups, so it's best to consider how they relate.

Most pop-ups are actually composed of **multiple Narrative Events**. So to make a single pop-up you'll be normally be creating multiple events and linking them together.

![](https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/civ7community/civ7-official/modding/guides/images/NarrativeEventDiagram.png)

For example, the above popup consists of **4 Narrative Event entries**. Event A is the pop-up itself. Events B to D are each of the three buttons presented to you as choices. These buttons are events in their own right and may have their own popups with further choices. **We would say Event A leads to Events B, C, and D**

So we can break events down into two sections. The **Pop-up** and the **Button**.

* **Pop-ups** consist of the following text:
  * The **Storytitle** is the title that appears at the top of a Pop-up.
  * The **Completion** is the long flavor text that appears as the body of a Pop-up.
* **Buttons** consist of the following text:
  * The **Name** is the flavor text that appears as the key text element in a button.
  * The **Imperative** is an optional text entry that gives you a command to complete in order to advance the Narrative Event. It appears below the Name.
  * The **Description** is gameplay text that appears as the tooltip of a button. This usually a description of what happens when you select an option, such as "+2 Culture on Amphitheaters".

Narrative Events might not use both sections. Some events aren't triggered by buttons. Some events don't trigger pop-ups.

To reiterate, the **Pop-up** and **the Buttons** in a pop-up usually **belong to separate Narrative Events**. With the parent event supplying data for the Pop-up, and the various events it leads to supplying data for the buttons.

> **Note:**
> There is one exception to this, which is a Narrative Event that **does not lead to further events**. In which case, the Pop-up will only have one button that says "Close", text is **pulled from the same Narrative Event** for the **Description**. The **Name** and **Imperative** are ignored.
>
> ![](https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/civ7community/civ7-official/modding/guides/images/SingleEvent.png)

Continue to: [Narrative Events — Creating events and requirements](https://civ7community.mintlify.site/official/guides/narrative-events-creation.md)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.