An example of world building by context.

I prefer to bake the world building into the story itself. This is the opening to a story I've been tinkering around with. I'm not sure if it's going to be a short story or novella. As always, I'm no expert, and YMMV.

***

A Morning Walk

The morning was foggy with a hint of drizzle.  Millicent and Vanessa had just left the Elves quarter in the great city of Londinum. They had planned to take a brief walk around Badrices Eie park, but were stopped short when the Great Bridge began to rise, whistling steam.  Its giant iron gears, cogs and sprockets clanked loudly, echoing across the murky water.

The steam-ship HRM Frontier had just pulled out from port and was heading down the Thames, and eventually toward the Frankish colonies. They stood on the edge of the quay, watching the Frontier’s giant paddle wheel turn, building up speed.

They didn’t notice the half-orc stumble slowly up to them from behind. 

“Please, ladies. Spares a farthing for a vet?” The half-orc said, holding out his old army hat. He was clad in the remains of a loyalist uniform and one of his legs was bent badly to the side, a crude brace wrapped around it.

“Eww, nasty orc.” Millicent replied, wrinkling up her nose.

“Even worse,” Vanessa tittered. “A half-orc."

“Please, two more farthings and I can buy a cuppa stew. I ain’t ate in three days, and I ain’t like them rebel orcs. I fought for the crown,” he said, pointing to his threadbare uniform.

Millicent turned up her nose, and opened her parasol against the light mist which had begun to fall. “Vanny, let’s get to the Silver Chalice and have a nice warm tea. Leave this beast alone.”

She began walking toward the Great Bridge, which had begun to lower after the Frontier’s passing. Vanessa began to follow her, but stopped, turned around, and quickly and quietly tossed two thin brass coins into the half-orcs hat.

***

We have a pretty good idea what this world is about without a single expository info dump. No prologue, no "as you knows"

This is a rough draft, so there are some things I think could work better, but I think it gets the point across.

I like to write this way, and I prefer to read stories like this, where the world exists in how the characters move though it, what they notice, and how they treat each other.