Summer camp 2025
It's been seven years of summer camp for me and it's still exciting to do them, specially because the community, but I'm also a tired pidgeon, so I'm afraid I shall have to swap my beloved Camp Feral for the lovely Camp Chill.
Follow my ramblings during the prep month and then follow the article to see the written articles. Shall I reach my goal? Will I surpass it? Who knows!
And of course, a sheet will pop up in this article that will be able to be used during this summercamp (once its done).
Homework 1 - Week 1
Motivations
I'll be working on Iphars during summer camp, my post-apocalyptic fantasy world where magic is a mess as well as half the world (and we don't talk about the other world). Why? I've always worldbuilt in Iphars during summer camp, and, after 7 years? It's the only thing that feels right.
More specifically, I'll be working (probably, might change the area based on the themes) in the continent of Branul. What's on Branul? Not even god knows. Well, I can say there's like 3 surface lava lakes, some cult/religion shenanigans, and a lots of countries.
I'm going for copper.
Revisit
If you found any outdated articles in your world, update the most important ones now! Do the same with your worldbuilding meta.
*Stares at the camera* This continent (if I stay with Branul) is the region of Iphars that I've worked for longer and I don't even know what's important. There's probably about a hundred articles only in Branul, all of them probably needing updates. Sooo... *skip*
Don't you make me start talking about the meta >:/
Nourishment
Ohhhh boi. Em... That's food right? Not really inspiring of a theme for now but I'll try give it a try.
During this summer camp my unofficial objective is to talk about magic and gods because there's some shenanigans on those themes that I haven't talked *enough*.
So, without getting too in-depth of it (feel free to ask me on discord tho), I think I might get some oportunities to talk about how the magic nourishes the world of Iphars, how the fake gods nourish from magic and faith, and how the real gods nourish themselves from faith that doesn't really go towards them.
| Copper | |
| Silver | |
| Gold | |
| Diamond | |
| Wildcard |
Homework 2 - Week 2
Origin
The origin of Iphars is Summer camp. The world was created for summer camp and has seen most of its expansions only during summer camp. Since it's creation, I've been working on one different continent each summer camp, and last year I finally tackled the last continent.
Oh, right, I'm supposed to talk about world hook, homepage, and primer. The hook is basically a planet crashed into Iphars causing an apocalypse in the planet and some weird shit in Iphars. Don't expect to learn a lot about the other planet though. Magic is very chaotic too. Homepage and primer? They both OK. Could be better? Surely, but I ain't got time or energy.
Beginning
I started worldbuilding because I found World Anvil while I was trying to find a place where I could write down my notes of a novel's world so I didn't lose them (like the papers I was using at the time, which I still randomly find sometimes). It was fun. It's still fun.
I'm sure I've done mistakes, don't know whether I learnt from them or not. The good ideas are still in Daeliha (hiatus) so they are already integrated. At the same time, Daeliha has grown a lot *out* of the novel's limits. But that's not related to Summer camp IMO.
Roots
The obvious answer would be to talk about the origin's of people and shit like that. But that's boring... and I'm kinda re-thinking all people's species in Iphars so Imma try to avoid that. Roots is also flora. I'm not too good at flora but it can be fun.
When thinking about roots and my unofficial objective the first thing I think is how magic is changing the roots of the world (civilization, ecosystems, etc) and how the real gods are trying to "root" themselves into this world by stealing the position of the fake gods (again, if any questions: Discord).
Homework 3 - Week 3
Metamorphosis
*check notes*
Yeah, no... no way in hell I'm explaining all of the things cuz 50 years ago in Iphars the world got extra land, extra people, magic, extra gods, and whatever the hell more there is when two words crash and one survives and absorbs parts of the other one. There's chaotic magic, there's magical corruption; people are changing, ecosystems are unstable and trying to fix each other, and a lot more.
Who's trying to stop them? Nature is a bit of a █████ when trying to stop it. I'm sure there's some people trying to fix the magical corruption (I know I wrote something about them at one point), and surely there's people trying to stop changes that might affect politics or day-to-day small stuff? But... Yeah.
Inspiration
Noup. It's not that I don't like doing that from time to time. It's that I cannot word my thoughts on why I like or hate something (well, the hating sometimes I can) so it would be wasting too many brain cells trying to explain myself for something probably not helpful to me :D
WA Inspiration
The community is great and plenty of inspiring. They do amazing articles and many of them trigger inspiration. But I personally feel more inspired talking with the authors. I'd list the people who help me most with inspiration and all of that, but I would feel bad only listing some of all the people who inspire and help me grow as a content creator (also, y'all know who y'all are).
Homework 4 - Week 4
Tomorrow
My content in Iphars is, so far, very focused on the present and the past. There's a lot going on rn in the world and there's a lot that has changed and I wanna talk about how it was and how it is now. So the future isn't really in my plans for the world... We'll see how this goes.
Planning
I'm a beast at planning! I plan so much that I forget my plans! I organise so much and then forget it all! So basically, haven't done a lot but I'm as ready as I can be taking in account that half the month I'm in an intensive language learning course. *insert sipping emoji, if u know u know*
Accountability
I don't have a singular buddy per se, BUT I have TWO great groups of friends and writers that I'm sure will be kicking my ass if I do nothing and if I push myself too much, and I shall do the same to them too.
Artfight
I'm a madman and I shall attempt to do at least a couple or so drawings in Artfight this year (as I did last year)! If you are participating, pls lemme know and let's add each other! :D
Team fossil all the way, if it wasn't obvious with my skull.
Custom homework
Am I crazy? Maybe. Also I was gonna try to format the following section but ehhh... too much thinking. Putting in spoiler cuz it's wall of text. Anyway: custom homework made by yours truly. Also yeah, I haven't done custom homework for the last two weeks.- What is the things you often avoid most when worldbuilding?
- Proooobably politics, conflicts/formations aaand... items/technology? Not big fan of politics, conflicts/formations feel meh, and I just never really think of items or technology.
- What do you think Iphars needs more of?
- No freaking idea but stats say that basically culture stuff, technology, and military stuff. Fits with what I don't like writing XD
- What do you like writing the most?
- Rather than talking about templates, I'll answer with themes. I like talking about natural things (flora, fauna, how they mix, what can affect them, change them, etc. Tho never really got into natural phenomena), I like writing things that leave more questions than answer and writing things that different people have different opinions/ideas/views towards it.
- What area of your world would you like to expand during this summer camp?
- Branul... probably. Maybe will change continent depending on the themes but I feel I'm pretty decided on Branul. I'd love to talk about magic, it's consequences, and about the real gods and how they try to introduce themselves into the cultures of Iphars.
- Pick one of the themes that have been revealed (Nourishment, Roots, or both!) and think of a general no-specific idea for it in your worlds. Got it? Good! Now, pick 2/3 of your less used templates and think how that idea can be tied up to the templates.
- Less used templates: rank/title, vehicle, professions, military conflicts, formations.
- Nourishment: magic is nourishing the world and changing it.
- Profession: a group of biology professionals who are working to record and analyse the changes of foods because the magic. (Probably wouldn't write it tbh)
- Vehicle: a small lightweight transport that is powered by some crystals that gather up magical energy passively (tho slowly)
- Roots: gods are trying to establish themselves into the lifes and prayers of Ipharians.
- Conflict: some skirmish between gods to decide who fits where in a already established pantheon.
- Looking at the list of templates and how much they've appeared in Summer Camp (added at the end of the message), which templates you think you will struggle most? Do you have a plan to try tackle them or make it easier to work on them?
- Not really looking at the list, but from memory and experience, I tend to struggle with military conflict and formations, ranks/titles, professions, organizations, ethnicities, languages, and laws. My plan is to ignore them if they don't offer good ideas and motivation, and since I'm going for copper, I'm more than fine ignoring my problems
- Look at the most used templates and/or the templates you like more. What ideas can you think for them and the themes? (Most used templates in summer camp: species, tradition, character, organisation)
- Species: they eat magic or magical items (you get general idea cuz if WA can be generic af in prompts, so can I in answers)
- Traditions: a tradition that supposedly nourishes the future person one will become
- Character: survived cuz magic, is half dying or finding another source to live
- Species: they lost they roots. Whether literally or they just come from Ashtara
- Traditions: this was based on a god, but now the god is giving different signs???
Spreadsheet
Good luck! I hope it goes well for you. o7 - and a salute for your 7 years of Summer Camp!
Thank you! Hope yours go well as well!
Cool reads: Reaching the Meeraz | University of Delavar | Meeraz Morrow | Catoblepon's rambles