Worldember 2025: My Pledge
Hello you amazing people! It’s that time of the year again, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Having been around for over a year now and taken part in most of the official challenges, I can confidently say that WorldEmber is truly my vibe. Summer Camp was fun, but nothing compares to the thrill and creative fire that WorldEmber brings. I can’t wait to dive in: write, create, and read all your incredible worlds!
Last year, I was blessed with plenty of free time, but I knew it wouldn’t last forever. Still, I’ll do my best to keep up, trusting that my love for this challenge will carry me forward.
When I first joined WA, I was overwhelmed and simply trying to bring some cohesion to my fantasy world, Kena’an. A year later, things have turned out far better than I ever expected, and I can only be grateful. None of this would have been possible without the encouragement and warmth of this amazing community.
So this WorldEmber, I’m coming not with one, but two worlds (…possibly three, if inspiration hits)!
Let’s get started, shall we?
Bingo what?
Alright, full honesty - I’ve only ever seen bingo in movies. I have no idea how it’s actually played or what makes people shout "BINGO!" when they win (it's a rule of the game... I guess?). So when I saw this year’s bingo card, I just stared at it for a while, pretending I knew what I was doing, and then started marking boxes like a chaotic gremlin with a plan.
Basically, I just picked the goals that felt useful or inspiring for my projects and ignored any sense of strategy or rules whatsoever. So here’s my version of this year's homework: one part enthusiasm, one part confusion, and a dash of "let’s see what happens.”
My Worlds
This WorldEmber, I’ll be focusing on both Kena’an and Crux Umbra.
For Kena’an, my goal is to finally conquer the many stubs that have been quietly waiting for attention and to bring structure, detail, and cohesion to what’s already there.
Crux Umbra, on the other hand, will be about venturing into new territory. I want to craft fresh articles that delve deeper into the world’s mysteries; its dangers, its broken beauty, and the remnants of what came before.
And since I’m a little crazy like that, if inspiration strikes, I might just squeeze in an article or two from my newest world, Fate’s Misfits: a collaborative project I share with my wonderful husband, chronicling the story of our long-term Pathfinder campaign.
I hope you will find something to enjoy in any of these worlds!
Doing my Homework
Tidy up my space
A little before Summer Camp, I started organizing (or, well, as much as my chaotic brain actually can) a cozy little corner in my house to help me focus during writing sessions. I’m still missing a new laptop since the old one is drawing its last breaths (RIP), but hopefully, I’ll have it before WorldEmber begins.
This space has become my personal haven - the heart of all my hobbies - and it constantly demands that I juggle about 300 things at once. I forgive it, though. Demanding as it is, it always motivates me and keeps me on track. For now, I’ll have to set the paints and minis aside, but that’s okay. I know they’ll wait for me. :)
Worldbuilding Playlist
I usually write with some kind of white noise humming in the background - an old series I’ve seen a thousand times or a familiar movie I can half-listen to while I work. But the longest - and best - writing sessions always demand music. And when WorldEmber arrives, that demand becomes an absolute necessity.
I already have a few playlists on Spotify and YouTube that I circle back to, but I realized I’m missing one that truly belongs to Crux Umbra - something that carries that quiet, haunted pulse the world is supposed to have. I’ll get to crafting it soon, but if you know this world and have any track suggestions that might fit its mood, please (pretty please) send them my way!
Review Homepages
I recently gave the Crux Umbra homepage a full makeover, and I have to admit I’m really pleased with how it turned out. It feels far more vivid than the old version and, to me, it finally captures the darkness and danger that define this world. It looks closer to how I’ve always imagined it in my head. That said, I’m still debating whether the main image should be a touch darker to better match the mood. I’ll have to sit with that thought for a bit. What do you think? If you’ve seen the old homepage, does this one feel like an improvement? And if this is your first visit to the world, does it pull you in or feel a little too much at first glance?
As for Kena’an, the homepage has mostly stayed the same for the past six months. I still feel it captures the mood I’m going for, though it does come across as a little cluttered. Any suggestions on how to make it breathe a bit more would be much appreciated.
And finally, there’s my newest world: Fate’s Misfits. I’ll be honest: I adore its homepage even though it's simple. This world is deeply personal to me, tied to the longest campaign I’ve ever played in. Davina, the character I bring to life there, holds a permanent place in my heart. Maybe that’s why every detail of that page feels special; like a reflection of years of stories, laughter, and late-night adventures.
Accountability Buddy
... or as the saying goes, "Don’t change a winning team!”
I’m truly blessed to have met so many wonderful people here on World Anvil - especially everyone in the Storyteller’s Circle, a group I know I can always turn to for advice, encouragement, and inspiration. I hope they know the feeling is mutual: if any of them ever need help in return, my door is always open.
When it comes to an accountability buddy, I’m thrilled to be teaming up once again with Tyrdal! We first paired up during Summer Camp, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made that season. I’ve been a huge fan of his world Aran’sha and his writing style for a long time; he truly embodies what it means to be a storyteller.
He’s not only a fantastic proofreader but also a genuinely kind and inspiring person, so I couldn’t be happier to head into WorldEmber alongside him.
And if you’re not already following Aran’sha... well, it’s time to fix that! Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Stubs I want to expand
I have so many stubs to work with - 372, to be exact! Somewhere along the way, things clearly got out of hand without me even noticing. Most (if not all) of them belong to Kena’an, so if I end up expanding a stub during WorldEmber, it’ll most likely be from that world.
Since that number is far too overwhelming to tackle head-on, I decided to narrow my focus and make a short list of 1–3 articles per template to work on - just enough to keep me grounded and moving forward.
Here’s what I’ve got:
Building
Oblidonia: The most important magical academy in the human empire of Keraian
Park of Worlds: A landmark in Thandor, dedicated to the celebration of all the different sapient species in Kena'an
The Rooster: A shady casino ruled by the Vannore Syndicate in the slums of Thandor
Character
Agion Condore: The last emperor of a united Kena' an and founder of the Condore dynadty
Blu' faeri: The new leader of the Tir' naru tribes
Geography
The Crossroads: Plane of the god of balance (Idril) and a gateway to every other plane of existance
The Deeps: A mysterious underground plane (a mix of astral and material planes)
Military Formation
The Ivory Lances: An elite force of guards in the diplomatic city of Vandoria
Order of the Silver Stalion: Knights dedicated to the protection of the royal family of Thandor
Organization
Black Chains: A huge slave ring organization that operated in the shadows
Keepers of the Feather: The official religion group of the goddess of magic & death, Siona
The Last Counsil: The counsil that ruled along side Agion when Kena'an was still one empire
Items
Eos: The legendary sword of the god of sun, Novirath
Species
Dwarves: Because who doesn't love dwarves?
Elemental Elves: The different kind of elves in Kena'an
Settlement
Elenestra: The ruined city of Pariant, once the center of knowledge of the world
Ebonmarsh: The grand Necropolis and capital of the undead kingdom of Myltery
Condition
Blackscur: A mtysterioys magical disease, with very few known afflicted
Conflicts
Purification: The battle of the gods that marked an era change in Kena'an
War of Nightmares: The escalation of the Darkwood Uprising that caused the human empire to lose their ansestral grounds to the undead
Document
Laws of Alchemy: An ancient document connecting alchemy with a now forgotten type of magic
Irikah's Prophecies: The lost prophecies of the first Eaglor Diviner
Ethnicity
The Mnémar: Ethereal elves, curators of Astralyn
Sol' kali: The spiritual leaders of the Tir'naru tribes
Myth
The Fall of Seraph Tiberon: The story & the fall of one of the most important Suntouched spiritual leaders
The Mirror in the Well: A Lexus the Pure fairytale
Plot
Twilight Macabre (adventure): An attempt to make my first complete pathfinder adventure
Profession
Alchemists: From simple botanists to mystical magic users of a lost art
Title
Oracle: The title of the headmaster of the Lunar Spire academy
Blade of the Empire: The title of the first general of the human empire
Tradition
The Radiant Convergence: The ritual that is conducted to determine the new Seraph of the Suntouched
Vehicle
The Phantom Tide: The vessel of the pirate named Rohan
Daria's Portals: Magical devices that lead to the elven queen of Zolirak demi-plane
Articles I want to write
That’s such a hard question to answer... I mean, I want to write everything! And that’s usually my problem: I want to tell every story possible… all at once. That’s also the point where things get overwhelming, and I freeze mid-thought.
So this year, I decided to put a stop to myself. If I write any new articles during WorldEmber, they’ll be for Crux Umbra, not Kena’an. There’s so much in that dark, post-apocalyptic world that I want to explore, and I’m genuinely excited to return to it after leaving it aside following Summer Camp.
So here’s a small list of half-formed ideas. If any of them sound like something you’d love to read, let me know! I’d be more than happy to move them up the list.
Pillar of Magic: Chaos
Pillar of Magic: Spirit
Vampire Magic: Sanguinis
The Veil
Wyld Surges
Character: Ozymantias
The Inquisitions
Shapeshifters
Veilglass (material)
Atlantis
Mealmoss (species)
Mudborn (ethnicity)
Coven: The Eternal Axis
Coven: The Ashen Circle
Coven: The Harbringers
Coven: The Silent Order
Burning of the Library of Alexandria
The Crimson Chain (revenant condition)
Mutants
Erinyes (species)
Aquatic Vampires
Hollowed groups per Amorphus influence (cults-new religions)
Character: The Last Diviner
Diviners: Extinct mages
Character: Hecate
Character: Fabio
The Four Primordials - > one article for each of them (Olga, Stefan, Keiji, Christian)
Vampire creation (ritual)
The Amorphus
Zombies/Living Dead
Nightmare creatures
Looking back (and forward
Last year something wild happened and I somehow ended up winning Best Body of Work for WorldEmber. I’m still not entirely sure how that happened. It was one of those moments that made me stop, blink twice, and think, "Wait... what? Me?” That recognition meant the world to me, not just because of the badge itself, but because it came from a community that has inspired, supported, and welcomed me from day one.
So this year, I’m coming back with the same love and excitement:ready to build, to read, to write, and to share again. Thank you all for making this corner of the internet feel like home.
here’s to another WorldEmber filled with stories, caffeine, and friendly chaos.
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Alright the darts got a good giggle out of me, I love that, that's fantastic! I can't wait to see what you come up with for Worldember I'm very excited to get refocused on reading and writing (assuming I can escape the clutches of Foundry at some point before December!)
Hehehe the darts are proof I am just going random with this bingo thing XD Rin explained the rules, but I still like my chaotic approach hehehe I am super excited about Worldember!! I can't wait to see what you'll do as well <3 I also need to check Foundry out but not now.. shinny new toys would distract me way to much!