Summer Camp Prep 2025

Week 1

Assignment 1- Nourishment

Magic

Magic is the nourishment of Aycia - it is the source of all life. Every living this pulses with this organic power, even if it isn't visible to the naked eye. When Esvelen created Aycia, they wove the branches of the Great Tree into the tapestry of the dimensions foundations. In this way, the very fabric of Aycia is founded on magic. Every human life is a leaf on this Great Tree, fleeting, only briefly sustained for its season by the pulsing sap of magic. Upon death, the leaf falls, drifting on the winds of fate to the realms below; Sky, Land, and Sea, each one ruled by one of the three great Guardians. Those souls measured as good fall to Althys's realm, the Realm of Sky. Those souls of neutral nature drift to the Realm of Sea, ruled by Thehtia. Souls of evil nature are cast to Omen's realm, the Realm of Land- a kingdom of fire and evil. Deities are formed from the flowers if the Great Tree. With Esvelen's blessing, these flowers form a single seed- a new deity's Core. The Core is the heart of a deity's power, an infinite source of magic. Althys, Thehtia and Omen were the first deities Esvelen created, and from their billions of years of life, are by far the most powerful of them all, but by now there are countless smaller deities that serve in their realms, under their rule, and with Esvelen as divine ruler of them all. Elves, goblins, and dwarves, the three other races that populate Aycia, where created respectively by Althys, Thehtia, and Omen, and each have a unique relationship with magic.

Other topics I'd like to explore;

• Agriculture and foods available in different regions
• Regional cuisine and recipes
• Religion and diversity- how this nourishes the cultures of Aycia

Assignment 2- Renourish your motivations

Aycia is the world in which a novel me and my friend are writing is set. I am worldbuilding for the purpose of fleshing out the background, cultures, and history of this world to provide valuable context about the environment in which this story is set. With a greater understanding of the world, the more immerse I can make this novel feel, and produce not only an engaging plot but an entire new universe for readers to discover. Additionally, through fleshing out this world, it opens up possibilities for sequels and separate stories set in this same universe for readers to enjoy. I wish to use the summer camp prompts to inspire new developments and ideas and explore aspects of the world I hadn't previously considered. I intend to keep an open mind rather than focusing on a specific section, and focus on whatever I feel best fits the prompt, so as not to box in my creativity.

Assignment 3- Revisit your world

I have read through my worldbuilding meta, and found several inconsistencies and outdated ideas- as part of this assignment I will update this.

Week 2

Assignment 1- Roots

It began with a seed, which Esvelen nurtured and grew into a great tree that held the power of creation itself...

— Quote from our novel, The Fallen

Aycia was created by Esvelen as a safe-haven for the peoples of the world, seperated from the wrath of Omen and the dangers of the first Great War. This marked the start of the Second Age. Esvelen designed this world in likeness of the three material realms, Althys's Plane of Sky, Thethia's Plane of Sea and Omen's Plane of Land; a large continent surrounded by ocean, sky swirling overhead, the perfect design to accommodate each of the four races. Goblins populated the seas, while dwarves carved their kingdoms beneath the earth, and elves built ornate citadels stretching skywards from Aycia's mountains and forests. Humans, Esvelen's race, representative of the harmony between planes, dwell on the surface- the boundary between land, sky, and sea. To defend the people of Aycia from evil, Esvelen created the dragons. Only dragons could travel the Path of Stars which connected Aycia and the Spirit Realm.

Already well adapted to life on land, the dwarves were not as affected by the move to Aycia. They settled underground as miners and blacksmiths, and delved deep beneath the mountains, discovering powerful ores, and building great cities. The most powerful and richest of their kingdoms was Kendohr, mostly due it's valuable ore; mithril. On the other hand, as the elves adapted to life on Aycia, they became slowly changed. Seperated from her Plane, over time they began to lose their connection with Althys, and their magic dwindled. For example with no use for flight, their ability to conjure illusionary wings was forgotten, lost to time. As creatures of the sea, the Goblins lived undisturbed for many years, but as the human population grew, so did their demand for food. Overfishing by the humans threatened goblin communities, and forced them to leave their ocean homes and adapt to life on land. Slowly, the goblins evolved to lose their fish-like qualities- webbed feet and ears evolved to mimic the land dwelling races, and their scaled skin smoothened (although it kept its greenish quality).

Summary of topics I'd like to explore;

• The Goblin Migration
• Early human society and politics
• Mechanics of the tree of creation itself

Additional topics;

• Literal interpretation- Roots of the Great Tree (The astral plane, underworld ect.)
• Belief systems and religions of each race (where do they think they came from, stories of creation!)
• Folk tales and mythology (could include the 9 immortals?)

Assignment 2- Review your settings roots

I have added a world primer to my homepage, and intend to use CSS to further design an engaging homepage, as currently I am using the default layout.

Assignment 3- Back to your roots

This world is my first worldbuilding project, but it has changed so much since I began. Some of my biggest mistakes was taking and copying elements from different media rather than coming up with my own original material, as well as trying to combining and include far too many elements rather than keeping things simple and focusing on core ideas. This lead to a world and narrative that felt unoriginal and contrived; I spent too much energy trying to 'reinvent' existing ideas and reform them into a way that would fit my world, and relying too much on the work of others to inspire me. I have come a long way since then, and the world has changed and evolved in a way I never could have expected, but I recognise there is still a lot of room to improve. I still need to spend more time focusing on what makes this world original and unique- it still feels quite basic and unoriginal in regards to certain plot lines.

Week 3

Assignment 1- Metamorphosis

The Wizard Rebellion

The Great War is an ongoing conflict that have marred several centuries of life on Aycia, and one of the biggest transformations in the political landscape of this Age. There once was an age when all races lived side by side in harmony, but years of civil unrest lead to the eventual fracturing of the great human kingdom of Azmarin. In the years that lead up to the wizard rebellion, there was great tension between the mundanes, wizards, and practitioners. The mundanes, threatened by the power of the wizards, over many years put in place sanction upon sanction to control the use of wizard magic, as the rise of industry replaced the reliance human society had on magic. The mundanes were fed up of this inequality, and the power imbalance in favor of magic users, and investors and scientists spent years developing technology on par with their powers. This gave ground for the sytematic oppression of wizard communities, and these same investment corporations spread dangerous propaganda of the supposed hidden motives of magic users. The wizards protested this oppression, going on strike, rebelling. On both sides, propaganda, misinformation and manipulation drove a growing rift between them. The wizard protests grew violent, and their punishments harsher. Wizards were made example of, executed publicly for crimes against the crown. From the mistrust and chaos rose a figure to unite the wizards against the mundanes, by the name Elvruzahl, a figure who gave them hope and demanded they took their "rightful place" in society. Elvruzahl was head of a power wizard House, the House of Erexis, and held great political sway despite his status as a wizard. After years of campaigning, Evruzudal is pronounced an independant nation, ruled by Elvuzahl. What the public where unaware of at the time was Elvruzahl's hidden motivations. The dark god Omen was awakening, and came to Elvruzahl in his dreams, praying on his doubts and patriotism for his nation. Omen promised that he could help- if Elvruzahl sided with him, he could help them build a great empire, and the could rule the Continent and beyond side by side...

At the same time, growing civil unrest between the rural farming communities of upper Azmarin, and the expanding industrial cities in the south added to the political turmoil. The techgiants and corporations appeased the working class, vastly underpaid and working in dire conditions, with the promise of vast wealth increases and improved living conditions as their technologies advanced and expanded continent wide- but the farming communities of the north, who built their livelihoods upon the fertile ground of the area was strongly against the expansion of industry, as were the magical communities of elves (who saw technology as crude and dirty and against the natural order).

This heightened the friction and divide between Azmarin and Eziris, and over the next decades Eziris too campaigned for independence from Azmarin. This split the human kingdom in three- Azmarin, Eziris and Evruzudal. But Elvruzahl was not satisfied. He didn't just want independence, to rule their own seperate kingdom of wizards. Elvruzahl fell victim to Omen's promises- he wanted an empire. He wanted a return to the old ways- when wizards ruled and held all power. An end to the villinisation of his people, and for them to take their rightful place as rulers. He spread the belief of 'Esvelen's chosen', which caught on like wildfire amongst the wizards tired of their suppression. Humans, the first race, the divine Creator Esvelen's race. But they were no ordinary humans- they were humans of magic. Esvelen's chosen few. And with this manifesto, Elvruzahl readied his empire for war. During his life, he lead the first invasions of Eziris, laying waste to the outer villages and expanding their territory. Soon, much of the northernmost front of Eziris was occupied by wizard armies, governed under wizard rule.

When his father died, Elforin took up the mantle as Emperor of Evruzudal, and figurehead of their holy crusade. The war against Eziris had long become a standstill, the wizard armies unable to pentrate the thick walls of Eziris's outer city, but Elforin had grand plans. He ended the sieges on Eziris, and turned his sights northwards- to the elves and dragons. With much of Nuyanem under his control, he would be in prime position to attack the dragons. A dangerous move, but Elforin believed if he could get his hands on dragon eggs, and raise them under his command, they could be a powerful asset to his military, and may finally allow him to take full control of Eziris. The elves were a proud people, living in secluded and divided communities across the Ancient Heights and into Vreria. Too proud to realise the intentions of the wizards.

The smaller, and unsuspecting, wood elf villages were decimated by the wizard attacks. While the high elves in their cities of white stone and thick walls withstood fiercly, Elforin's mind was set. The attacks on the city of Meledir was one of the first steps in Elforin's campaign, for the city was vulnerable and a key location for attacking Vreria (territory of the dragons) as well as for their prized gem which the wizards used as powerful focuses for their power. Valcite, only found, or as the world believed, deep beneath the Ancient Heights, and refined by the elves of Melendir, was a powerful magical conductor used by wizards atop their staffs to channel their powers. With Melendir under their control, they would have access to all the Valcite they needed, and the best gemsmiths the Continent had to offer to forge their staffs. The seige on Melendir lasted several years, due to its strong fortifications and self sufficiency, but Elforin was determined. When the city fell, this was a turning point in the war- no one believed it could be conquered. This caused the wizards significant losses, but was a symbol of the strength of their empire. The genocide of the elves was one of the biggest atrocities of this war, countless settlements destroyed by the onslaught of fire. Those left retreated deep into Entheas forest; dense and magical, the wizards held no sway here.

The wizards occupied Melendir for many years as their base during Elforin's siege on Vreria. The dragons for a long time paid little heed to the wizards, and for the most part easily defeated any battalions Elforin sent. But Elforin grew greedy. He threw everything he had at these assaults, and began leading the charge himself when other generals were too afraid. Elforin battled many dragons during their attempts, and was greatly renowned for taking down one dragon on the council- Krafaris the Slayer. But never did he get close enough to the nesting sites to retrieve the eggs. Elforin then changed tacks. Instead of brute force- stealth. They would be short of time, and would not have time or the men to do a full raid, but they could steal a few, and that was all he needed. He had three specific eggs in mind; his scouts informed him that Asimore, one of the only female dragons on the council and by far the fieriest of them all, had lain three eggs. Three eggs; a dragon each for him and his two sons, Elvarune and Elphius.

On Elvarune's 18th birthday, Elforin invited his sons to join him in Melendir, in time to join him in his attempt to steal the eggs of the most powerful dragon to ever live. And now of age, when Elvarune arrived, Elforin also informed him of the true nature of this war. Of Omen's involvement and his plans to escalate the war, beyond territory expansion and growing their influence, and making their empire strong and respected- like the old days. He told Elvrarune Omen's plan to rule the universe with them by his side, and when he became Emperor, Omen would come to him in his mind, like he had done for Elforin, and Elforin's father before him. Elvarune, already unsure of the righteousness of this war, was outraged. He refused to join his father on his mission, and spent days in his rooms, unsure how to move forward with this information. Elforin, also outraged by his son's behaviour, was glad to leave him behind, and went alone with Elphius to steal the eggs.

My father, Elforin the Magnificent, was a wizard of immense power. He defeated Krafaris the Slayer with his bare hands. He has battled a great many dragons in his time, but he made one grave mistake. He went up against Asimore. She is one of the only female dragons on the council and by far the fiercest of them all. Her fire has been known to burn with the heat of a thousand suns, incinerating hundreds of innocent people with no mercy. Some say she has no soul, others say it has been corrupted, withered and blackened by centuries of fighting and murder. His mistake cost him his life. He never stood a chance against that level of power. But I have recovered the eggs…

— Extract from Elvarune's Diary, in The Fallen

But the mission went tragically wrong. Elforin was killed by Asimore, and Elphius narrowly escaped- although he suceeded to take the eggs. Elvarune, when Elphius returned, confronted him, only to discover his father had been killed. Elvarune, while devestated, insisted on telling his brother everything, intent on convincing him that they could change things- it didn't have to be this way, they could rule together, and bring an end to the war. Elphius can't believe what Elvarune has told him, and that his father would keep this from them. Part of him wants to believe his brother but he loved his father so much and saw the best in their Empire. He believed every story his father fed them, and about the righteousness of their crusade. Elvarune knows no one would believe him, and he didn't want to rule alone without his brother's support. He remembered too his father's words about Omen- a dark god speaking in his mind, corrupting him. Not wanting to become a puppet to his will, Elvarune makes the choice to leave. Elphius tries to stop him, but in the end lets him go. Elphius still loved his brother, and despised the fact he would disgrace their name this way- a traitor to their kingdom, so he made a choice. No one had seen Elvarune for days, and no one saw him and his father the day they left... He spread the lie that Elvarune went with them to steal the eggs, and died too. At only 16, Elphius was crowned the new Emperor of the Wizards. The rest of his life he served his father's cause, and lead the war efforts of his empire, and by the events of the book, this war is still ongoing (further history not included to avoid spoilers).

Other topics I'd like to explore

• Goblin evolution
• Dwarves perception of Omen
• Elven connection to Althys + spirituality
• Rise of the Black Dagger Organisation & Followers of the Necromancer
• Industrial revolution and technological developments (and the affect on society)

Assignment 2- Shake things up

For this assignment, inspired by the suggestion to 'Explore music you wouldn’t listen to otherwise', I decided to listen to a variety of genres to inspire the music taste of the different races on Aycia. This is a topic I have briefly considered previously, but never got as far as coming to any conclusions or writing my thoughts down- which I have finally done here!

Elves

Elves in Aycia I believe would listen to music quite stereotypical for their race; very lyrical, harmonious, and ethereal. However, for the elves of Aycia, music is not only a form of entertainment or relaxtion. Music (as well as poetry), is the main way elves channel their magic, and is a powerful tool. Through music, they tap into the magic of the living things around them, as is their gift, calling to the host to lend them their magic. For example, this ability can be used when requesting a tree to grow in a certain way; form archways, staircases, balconies, or form tools for their use. Elven magic requires complete concentration, calm, and peace in both wielder and host, and requires also unwavering trust and permission from the host, therefore harmonious and lyrical music, which is pleasing to ear, offers much more success to the elf in persuading and calming the host and reaching that calm state themselves. The most common instruments used by elves are harps, flutes, and other woodwind instruments, or simply voice. Sigils and runes are often carved onto the instruments (or even tattood onto the larynx) to increase their calming affect and improve tone. Artists like Aurora and Eurielle, with their ethereal and angelic voices, I think really suit the style of elven in Aycia.

Dwarves

When I previously considered this topic, I was recommended 'Dwarf Rock' to inspire their music, although I never got around to listening to this. For this assignment, I spent some time exploring the genre, and found artists like 'Wind Rose', who very much reflect the characteristics of dwarven music I imagined. In Aycia, dwarven music is known to be LOUD. The deep, throaty voices of the dwarves carry a tune well, and you can expect at least 4 part harmony in every song. Their lyrics are simple and catchy, and there aren't many complicated melodies and runs, and it mostly follows the same chord progressions and repetitive lyrics, but their dark gritty tone and the simple power behind their voices reflects the might of the mountains from which they mined their kingdoms. Dwarven songs are often accompanied by heavy percussion- whether made for the purpose of music, or simply a passionate blacksmith using their anvil- but limited melodic instruments, and occasionally are purely a cappella. On long shifts down the mines, dwarves are known to cheer themselves up by singing traditional dwarven choruses, kept in time by the regular clang of pickaxe on stone.

Goblins

Goblins have an intesting approach to music. As a very communal focused society, they prioritise the joy of shared experience over the... musicality. They do not use instruments in the traditional sense, but rather enjoy experimenting with different object to see what makes the most interesting sounds. As scavengers, should they come across an abandoned strange object (which could in itself be a musical instrument), they are sure to test its capabilities, and what new sounds it can make. Other races have been known to cringe finding goblins hitting brass instruments with cutlery, or plucking at violins... Favourite 'instruments' of the goblins include saucepans and spoons, or smashing plates and jars. All goblin music is completely improvised, and communal, with no sure start and end; usually one goblin will sit down and start a rhythm, and others gradually join until half the camp are cheering around a campfire in shared delight. It ends similarly, with players trickling off to bed one by one...

Humans

Intrigued, his shame and anxiety forgotten long, he shifted closer. There was something about this group, the Six Constellations, that made you forget your worries; drifting away like a forgotten melody, replaced by the music of laughter and joy.

— Extract from our novel, The Fallen

Drawing on traditional medieval music, I believe the music of humans would be centric on lutes, singing, flutes and drums. Artists I think who's style is very similar to this music would be Erutan, The Oh Hellos and The Whipperginnies. Human taverns usually host live music from a group of musicians- whether local or travellers! Our novel, The Fallen, features one such groups, a band of travelling troubadours who call themselves the Six Constellations. They travel around Azmarin, spreading joy and collecting fellow outcasts, bringing light to lives despite the darkness of the war. Most of their songs are centric on folktales and local legend, similar to songs like the Willow Maiden and Will o' The Whisp by Erutan.

Assignment 3- Learn from other worldbuilders

I have read through several of the winning articles from last year's Summer Camp, as well as looked at some of the winning worlds from the 2025 Worldbuilding Awards. This has inspired me in many ways, including how I could improve the structure of my articles to make them more engaging and user-friendly, such as ways to break up the layout, and examples of how others have used CSS to improve the overall aesthetics of their worlds, all of which I plan to take on board to improve the Aycia world!

Week 4

Assignment 1- Tomorrow

(To avoid spoilers, I won't go to in depth into the events to follow, as this is the main conflict that drives the plot our novel. But I will cover what the people of Aycia think their future will look like, and what they hope for it.)

The future is currently uncertain for the people of Aycia. The Continent has been at war for several centuries now, and no one can be quite sure how long this will last. For some, they can't imagine a world where war hasn't torn the kingdoms apart, this all they, and generations before them, have ever known. The elves on the other hand, many having lived for thousands of years, if not longer, yearn for the return the days before, "when magic was abundant, and a treasured gift...". Many were driven from their homes, forced to migrate deep into Entheas Forest- and haven't seen the open mountainscapes and hills of their youth in all this time. But all anyone on the Continent dreams of is an end to this war. The wizards dream of an empire restored, and future where they are respected and treated as equals, recognised not as villains, but as people, just like the rest. Many of the older wizards remember hearing tales of the oppression and hatred that they suffered from parents and grandparents, and want justice. The younger generations, wizard and human alike, dream of a world where they weren't forced to enlist into armies, forced to kill, forced to destroy. Countless families have been torn apart, and countless lives lost; everyone in Aycia dreams of peace.

“How long will this war last, Grandfather? When will peace return? Like it was before, like the old days you speak of?”

— Cepheus, main character of The Fallen

But as the dark Omen awakens, more is at stake than most of Aycia realise; the universe itself is in the balance...

Topics I'd like to explore;

• Omen's rise and fall
• The future of wizard society, post war politics and their new place and role
• The future for the characters in our novel
• Possible sequels!

Assignment 2- Plan ahead

I plan to take things as they go with this challenge- not restrict myself too tightly with rules and schedules... However, I have made it a goal to do at least half an hour of writing or worldbuilding every day this summer, logged on my favourite productivity app. Having just finished my GCSE's, I have a long and empty summer ahead of me. Summer camp is definitely a fun and productive way to fill the void and keep myself occupied! I also hope to make good progress on my novel in this time- something I regret not being able to give more time to in the last year. I haven't made many articles yet for this world, I'm hoping the summer camp prompts will really help me bulk out the world, and most of my worldbuilding is scattered between random Google documents and rough sketches, so it is about time I get through and organise it all, and see what ideas I can use to inspire and expand upon in my articles to come!

Assignment 3- Connect with the community

I was told about this summer camp challenge by a friend (fellow worldbuilder and co-owner/writer/builder of this world and novel), and I'm certain she will hold me accountable in regards to achieving my goal. I am a very collaborative creative; I love to bounce ideas around and be inspired by other people's perspective, so I'm sure to be telling everyone I know about my world developments (whether they like it or not!) sooner or later. Additionally, as this is a co-owned world, while I am in charge of the Summer Camp articles, my friend focusing on another world of hers, I am certain to have many fun and engaging conversations regarding lore and culture with my fellow conspirator! I am also very open to feedback from the wider World Anvil community, and am definitely looking forward to some more community wide interactions (I'll be sure to check out the Discord server). I'm sure it will be super interesting reading everyone's articles during this time for inspiration, and I hope there will be plenty of opportunity to interact, comment, and converse. with fellow worldbuilders.

Camp Feral Badge by Strixxline