A Beginner's Summer Camp ; 2024 Prep
https://www.worldanvil.com/community/challenge/summercamp-prep-2024/homepage
First Prep Assignment, Week of 1June24
Assignment #1: The type of change that would fit my world-building at this point is to transition from macro-level top-down timeline/history brainstorming to a more micro, local or regional bottom-up approach to prepare for actual play within the world. This is where I expect some of the details that will give it verisimilitude will ultimately be born anyway. While I still need to flesh out several larger brush-stroke things, the changed mindset during summer camp will be to zoom in further to a more granular, lived-in viewpoint instead of an overview perspective. This will have the added benefit of making it playable instead of a thought experiment or throwback to my youthful world-building fancies.
Assignment #2: Me being a fledgling builder on World Anvil and still struggling to allow creativity to persevere through learning the interface's nuances, my goal is entry level: 8 prompts. Bronze badge. Starting small but thinking big - if I happen to finish more than 8 it'll be tremendous, but I'd settle for the victory of 8 completed writing prompts that resonate - ones I feel good about, believe in, are consistent with the world, and that I am proud of having written.
Assignment #3: As it pertains to prepping categories and tags, I don't know what I don't know. I'm not sure where this journey will take me and can't really anticipate what I might need to pre-populate to better organize in the future. I'm trusting World Anvil to have a decent enough starting set to help a beginner subscriber like me dive into the space.
Assignment #4: Time to take a trip through the Meta to remind myself of the original impetus and vision, to refine it based on some of the unique creative turns that have happened since starting. I also NEED to spend some time in the YouTube tutorial videos and Learning documents to gain some confidence in how to maximize (or at least enhance) my minimalist understanding of the World Anvil toolset.
Second Prep Assignment, Week of 8June24
Assignment #1: When I think of types of refuge that would fit in my world's themes, two paths come to mind. Darkness and light. For the dark and gritty flavor, some would seek escape through numbing or euphoria despite the consequences, using some type of intoxicant or narcotic that induces temporary euphoria (possibly with psychedelic hallucinatory effects) at the expense of addiction and physical changes such as hair loss. For the light, I think people would seek refuge through faith and community - some type of holiday festivals and traditions.
Assignment #2: Accountability system - I am sharing this creation project with several engaged players and posting updates within my gaming Discord for others to review and render opinions on. Also, I'm starting to follow others on World Anvil and can keep tabs on their creations and Summer Camp progress when I need a little boost or inspiration to complete the challenge I have committed to. I joined the WA Discord community as well, more for help and how-to than anything else, but can dabble there to commune with others as geeked up about world design as I am. :)
Assignment #3: Styling and Layout. Well, that's another story. It was challenging enough to start to understand the UI, figure out how to post images into articles, and I am just beginning to dabble with tagging and linking. I think visual appeal is secondary to just getting content created, and for that I need a better understanding of basic functionality (which isn't as intuitive for some of us non-techies.) In fact, the density of the interface is something I initially found off-putting and intimidating, preventing me from really exploring what World Anvil offers. I now understand you can't have a powerful toolset without some complexity, and am slowly and painfully gaining momentum and proficiency. It is rewarding to see the fruits of my labor and I do love learning and challenges. So, from a layout improvement standpoint, I would like to increasingly incorporate tagging and linking within the world meta.
Assignment #4: I didn't know what CSS was until I Googled it. I think I'm better off staying away from all the bells and whistles for the time being, sticking to basics to begin understanding the fundamentals. If I indulge that left brain, it will stall my right brain imagining and creating. So, for this first project, write/create and do whatever it takes to learn enough to get it posted online.
Third Prep Assignment, Week of 15June24
Assignment #1: What kind of beliefs fit in my world and genre? I would like to explore a time when monotheism (a One True God) is expanding and gaining converts compared to a paganistic pantheon of the Old Gods. I think this creates tension, and I like the more grounded/familiar and accessible religions (analogs to Christianity) in Tad Williams' The Dragonbone Chair series or Daniel Jackson's Illborn Saga. Religion and belief systems were paramount in medieval times and should function similarly in Kryllos - with monastaries, pilgrimages, saints, and the like to weave a tapestry of believeability for the One Faith while supersition, ritual, and shamanistic blood magic exist for those worshipping the Old Gods.
Assignment #2: Inspiration bank - I use music to set a mood and inspire me, most commonly movie soundtracks since they are engineered to evoke a tone or an emotion. I also use the exceptional audio available at Tabletop Audio to establish a mood while writing (and employ it during TTRPG sessions as well.) I have a Pinterest account with almost 3,000 pins creating visual mood boards, creatures, and other eye candy inspiration. I find inspiration in browsing TTRPGs such as Worlds Without Number and their random generator tables.
Assignment #3: Images and Art - I have a generic map of the aerial landmasses of Kryllos and am working on the surface wasteland map. I need to choose a starting region and zoom in with a detailed local hex map to create a starting point for role-playing and shared, collaborative storytelling. While I understand many are loathe to embrace AI-generated art or writing, and I don't want it to feature in any product I purchase, I do find I can use it as a tool to spark creativity if my muse is silent.
Assignment #4: Check Inspirations - Reviewed the world Meta to refresh myself on the tone and purpose of the world. This being a newer creation and my first on World Anvil, I haven't strayed too far from the original motivation: "Constructed to tell sword and sorcery, dark fantasy stories with grimdark elements in a setting that mixes nautical swashbuckling with lawless gold-rush style prospecting set against the backdrop of a cold war festering between superpower nations and the religious authority sanctioning a formal inquisition to identify, investigate, and eradicate heresy and heretical teachings." An overall timeline has taken shape to 'set the stage' for stories set in Kryllos.
Fourth/Final Prep Assignment, Week of 22June24
Assignment #1: Decay. Decay features prominently in Kryllos with the changing landscape of magic (divinity sourced spells fading as arcane casting rises after the Astral Descent), the surface wasteland beneath the aerial landmasses is littered with ruins and landmarks of the past. I am intrigued by the idea of moral decay. With the pantheon being less active in the mortal realm, clerics performing fewer miracles, and dwindling divine spellcasting I would think there would be fewer faithful. Religious heads would go to great lengths with missionaries to recruit new members to their faith (having become accustomed to a lifestyle made possible by tithes.) The explosion of Witchrock from the Starfall event fuels growth in arcane magic, which promotes materialism - possession of shards of Witchrock bring power and wealth.
Assignment #2: Writing Environment Optimization: My environment, or at least what is within my control, is well prepared. My office is established, bookshelves within reach, playlists prepped. I've got small snippets of time set aside and my wife is aware of my intent to participate in summer camp. Still working on my mindset, though. There's so many exceptional worlds here to draw inspiration from - but somehow, at least sometime, I see them, am awed, then become intimidated. It seems hopeless I'd ever have a similar world, as if its out of reach for the likes of me.
Assignment #3: World Homepage: Is currently non-existent. I do need to write a welcome, summary spiel for newcomers to Kryllos. Something that sets the tone and piques curiousity and a sense of adventure.
Assignment #4: Author Page: Hasn't gotten any love, and I don't think really needs it. I'm not here for fame (followers), fortune (Ko-fi, patreons), and glory but as a creative outlet in the hopes of one day having a homebrewed world fleshed out enough to run great TTRPGs in.
First Prep Assignment, Week of 1June24
Assignment #1: The type of change that would fit my world-building at this point is to transition from macro-level top-down timeline/history brainstorming to a more micro, local or regional bottom-up approach to prepare for actual play within the world. This is where I expect some of the details that will give it verisimilitude will ultimately be born anyway. While I still need to flesh out several larger brush-stroke things, the changed mindset during summer camp will be to zoom in further to a more granular, lived-in viewpoint instead of an overview perspective. This will have the added benefit of making it playable instead of a thought experiment or throwback to my youthful world-building fancies.
Assignment #2: Me being a fledgling builder on World Anvil and still struggling to allow creativity to persevere through learning the interface's nuances, my goal is entry level: 8 prompts. Bronze badge. Starting small but thinking big - if I happen to finish more than 8 it'll be tremendous, but I'd settle for the victory of 8 completed writing prompts that resonate - ones I feel good about, believe in, are consistent with the world, and that I am proud of having written.
Assignment #3: As it pertains to prepping categories and tags, I don't know what I don't know. I'm not sure where this journey will take me and can't really anticipate what I might need to pre-populate to better organize in the future. I'm trusting World Anvil to have a decent enough starting set to help a beginner subscriber like me dive into the space.
Assignment #4: Time to take a trip through the Meta to remind myself of the original impetus and vision, to refine it based on some of the unique creative turns that have happened since starting. I also NEED to spend some time in the YouTube tutorial videos and Learning documents to gain some confidence in how to maximize (or at least enhance) my minimalist understanding of the World Anvil toolset.
Second Prep Assignment, Week of 8June24
Assignment #1: When I think of types of refuge that would fit in my world's themes, two paths come to mind. Darkness and light. For the dark and gritty flavor, some would seek escape through numbing or euphoria despite the consequences, using some type of intoxicant or narcotic that induces temporary euphoria (possibly with psychedelic hallucinatory effects) at the expense of addiction and physical changes such as hair loss. For the light, I think people would seek refuge through faith and community - some type of holiday festivals and traditions.
Assignment #2: Accountability system - I am sharing this creation project with several engaged players and posting updates within my gaming Discord for others to review and render opinions on. Also, I'm starting to follow others on World Anvil and can keep tabs on their creations and Summer Camp progress when I need a little boost or inspiration to complete the challenge I have committed to. I joined the WA Discord community as well, more for help and how-to than anything else, but can dabble there to commune with others as geeked up about world design as I am. :)
Assignment #3: Styling and Layout. Well, that's another story. It was challenging enough to start to understand the UI, figure out how to post images into articles, and I am just beginning to dabble with tagging and linking. I think visual appeal is secondary to just getting content created, and for that I need a better understanding of basic functionality (which isn't as intuitive for some of us non-techies.) In fact, the density of the interface is something I initially found off-putting and intimidating, preventing me from really exploring what World Anvil offers. I now understand you can't have a powerful toolset without some complexity, and am slowly and painfully gaining momentum and proficiency. It is rewarding to see the fruits of my labor and I do love learning and challenges. So, from a layout improvement standpoint, I would like to increasingly incorporate tagging and linking within the world meta.
Assignment #4: I didn't know what CSS was until I Googled it. I think I'm better off staying away from all the bells and whistles for the time being, sticking to basics to begin understanding the fundamentals. If I indulge that left brain, it will stall my right brain imagining and creating. So, for this first project, write/create and do whatever it takes to learn enough to get it posted online.
Third Prep Assignment, Week of 15June24
Assignment #1: What kind of beliefs fit in my world and genre? I would like to explore a time when monotheism (a One True God) is expanding and gaining converts compared to a paganistic pantheon of the Old Gods. I think this creates tension, and I like the more grounded/familiar and accessible religions (analogs to Christianity) in Tad Williams' The Dragonbone Chair series or Daniel Jackson's Illborn Saga. Religion and belief systems were paramount in medieval times and should function similarly in Kryllos - with monastaries, pilgrimages, saints, and the like to weave a tapestry of believeability for the One Faith while supersition, ritual, and shamanistic blood magic exist for those worshipping the Old Gods.
Assignment #2: Inspiration bank - I use music to set a mood and inspire me, most commonly movie soundtracks since they are engineered to evoke a tone or an emotion. I also use the exceptional audio available at Tabletop Audio to establish a mood while writing (and employ it during TTRPG sessions as well.) I have a Pinterest account with almost 3,000 pins creating visual mood boards, creatures, and other eye candy inspiration. I find inspiration in browsing TTRPGs such as Worlds Without Number and their random generator tables.
Assignment #3: Images and Art - I have a generic map of the aerial landmasses of Kryllos and am working on the surface wasteland map. I need to choose a starting region and zoom in with a detailed local hex map to create a starting point for role-playing and shared, collaborative storytelling. While I understand many are loathe to embrace AI-generated art or writing, and I don't want it to feature in any product I purchase, I do find I can use it as a tool to spark creativity if my muse is silent.
Assignment #4: Check Inspirations - Reviewed the world Meta to refresh myself on the tone and purpose of the world. This being a newer creation and my first on World Anvil, I haven't strayed too far from the original motivation: "Constructed to tell sword and sorcery, dark fantasy stories with grimdark elements in a setting that mixes nautical swashbuckling with lawless gold-rush style prospecting set against the backdrop of a cold war festering between superpower nations and the religious authority sanctioning a formal inquisition to identify, investigate, and eradicate heresy and heretical teachings." An overall timeline has taken shape to 'set the stage' for stories set in Kryllos.
Fourth/Final Prep Assignment, Week of 22June24
Assignment #1: Decay. Decay features prominently in Kryllos with the changing landscape of magic (divinity sourced spells fading as arcane casting rises after the Astral Descent), the surface wasteland beneath the aerial landmasses is littered with ruins and landmarks of the past. I am intrigued by the idea of moral decay. With the pantheon being less active in the mortal realm, clerics performing fewer miracles, and dwindling divine spellcasting I would think there would be fewer faithful. Religious heads would go to great lengths with missionaries to recruit new members to their faith (having become accustomed to a lifestyle made possible by tithes.) The explosion of Witchrock from the Starfall event fuels growth in arcane magic, which promotes materialism - possession of shards of Witchrock bring power and wealth.
Assignment #2: Writing Environment Optimization: My environment, or at least what is within my control, is well prepared. My office is established, bookshelves within reach, playlists prepped. I've got small snippets of time set aside and my wife is aware of my intent to participate in summer camp. Still working on my mindset, though. There's so many exceptional worlds here to draw inspiration from - but somehow, at least sometime, I see them, am awed, then become intimidated. It seems hopeless I'd ever have a similar world, as if its out of reach for the likes of me.
Assignment #3: World Homepage: Is currently non-existent. I do need to write a welcome, summary spiel for newcomers to Kryllos. Something that sets the tone and piques curiousity and a sense of adventure.
Assignment #4: Author Page: Hasn't gotten any love, and I don't think really needs it. I'm not here for fame (followers), fortune (Ko-fi, patreons), and glory but as a creative outlet in the hopes of one day having a homebrewed world fleshed out enough to run great TTRPGs in.
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Welcome to WA, and hope you enjoy Summer Camp! The interface, all it's tools and what you can do with them can be daunting in the beginning - it's so much it's kind of like drinking from a fire hydrant! But sounds like you got a good plan forward, so wish you best of luck on the road to a bronze. Don't be afraid to swing by the discord help channel if you get stuck on something while trying to learn the interface - there's a bunch of awesome people around that's more than happy to help out and explain.
Thank-you! I'm starting to realize how the community here is one of World Anvil's most valuable assets and strengths. One that I've totally been ignoring as an outsider looking in. Glad I'm taking the plunge. And WOW! What a prolific worldbuilder you are! Amazing and inspiring!
Thank you for the compliment. <3 Yeah the community here is amazing, lots of people that's both supportive and inspiring, and I'd argue has helped me tons to get to where I'm now. :) Hope you have a great time here.