The longest journey - A traveller’s challenge

Welcome to an adventure unlike any other. Let’s embark on a journey through your worlds - but instead of just a short trip and a single destination, let’s visit a few more places through a series of monthly challenges.
  Each month will have a new prompt for you, and while you can certainly connect all five of them to form a coherent story, you don’t have to! Single articles work just as well.
If you want to skip a month because the prompt isn’t to your liking, just wait a month and rejoin our journey at a later point.

A traveller's guide

Do I have to submit something for every prompt?
  • No, of course not. Participate in any of the five prompts that call to you. There’s no obligation to take part for every single one.
  • Do I need to write prose/a specific template?
  • Not at all, you can choose any style or template as long as your submission fits the prompt.
  • How long does my article have to be?
  • You can submit art, maps,articles, even timelines if it fits. However, articles need to be at least 300 words long to be considered, but old, reworked articles can be submitted if they fit the prompt.
  • How much time do I have?
  • There are a total of 5 prompts over 5 months. The first chapter of this adventure will run from 7th September to 7th October. Submissions for the first prompt have to be entered within that timeframe to count.
  • How do I submit an article?
  • Simply comment with a link to your article
  • Are there rewards? Is this a judged challenge?
  • There will be badges for each completed prompt and there might be a special one for all the feral people that complete them all.
  •    
           

    Chapter One
    Into the Unknown

      The path ahead is a long and adventurous one trough many strange and wonderful worlds. Since we do not know (yet) where the journey takes us, I’ll reveal each theme a month before.

    This time, you'll get Septembers prompt, the first step of our journey - you can answer this prompt from the 7th September to 7th October:
     

    Write about..

    Where does the tale of your journey begin?


    Is it your home? A place on the edge of the known world or civilization? Is it bustling with life, brimming with secrets or just one last safe haven in a storm? Be it a dungeon entrance, a frontier city, a spacedock, even a state of mind - or something entirely different - whatever it is, write about it.
      And with that, fellow wanderers, gather your quills and parchments, and join me on “The Longest Journey.” Whether you pen one tale or many, each step will bring new sights and wonders. Let’s explore the wonders of your realms together, one story at a time. Here are a few inspirational stories from me, but I hope you will find your own tale to tell:  
    Like a giant manta ray, the "Vikramaditya" slowly moved away from the spacedock, maneuver jets firing in gentle bursts. As the engines flared to life, Captain Arjun watched from the bridge, eyes fixed onto the abyssal dark, wondering what awaited beyond.
    As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Tariq stood at the edge of his camp, feeling the desert’s breeze against his skin. The faint smell of campfires lingered in the air, a comforting reminder of home. Behind him, his camel, loaded with supplies, shifted restlessly. The sky blazed with shades of gold and crimson as the sun began its ascent. Taking a deep breath, Tariq made his first step into the vast, silent desert.
    Catlyn sat in a dimly lit corner of the nightclub, her fingers nervously tapping on the edge of her cyberdeck.“Why me?” she asked, her voice barely audible over the thunderous beats. The grizzled orc opposite her leaned back, a knowing smile tugging at his tusks. “Everyone starts somewhere, kid. You’ve got the skills. Now you just need the experience. You in?”

    Comments

    Please Login in order to comment!
    Aug 11, 2024 20:24 by CoolG

    YOOOOOOOOO!! I am SO joining :D

    Explore the dark and mysterious Inferncenem, the bright and wonderful Caelumen or the magical and fantastical Ysteria   Have a good one!   Feel free to check out my Substack: CoolG's Awesome Worlds! Join the Discord and chat with like-minded people!
    Aug 11, 2024 21:20

    Glad to have you - cant wait to read what you come up with!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 11, 2024 21:58 by Jeffrey Lebowski

    Count The Dude and the world of Terramora in as well! This is fantastic!

    Aug 12, 2024 08:36

    Glad to have you join us, looking forward to read your tales!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 12, 2024 04:53 by Sam

    Sounds fun, and I've been looking for another set of prompts to help me fill out Flimflam! To make sure I understand--the challenges are for story articles rather than (for instance) a Settlement article?

    Aug 12, 2024 08:26

    You can write in whatever template you want as long as its fitting the prompt.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 12, 2024 04:56 by Benard Calvin "Hunter" Hendrick VIII

    I shall also join ye, fellow adventurers! The trip awaits! Tally-Ho!

    Aug 12, 2024 08:37

    Lets go on an adventure! Looking forward to travel with you.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 12, 2024 08:32

    I added some clarification to the FAQ to make clear all templates are allowed as long as they fit the prompt.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 12, 2024 12:18

    id like to join too, not sure if ill forget about it though (i forget lots of things)

    Creator of the THF Universe
    https://www.worldanvil.com/w/thf-universe-tankium
    Aug 22, 2024 09:01

    I'll send another notification once the challenge starts. I'd love to have you join us!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 12, 2024 16:00

    This could lead to some interesting experiences. I'm looking forward to it. Let's see where the journey takes us.

    Stay imaginative and discover Blue´s Worlds, Elaqitan and Naharin.
    Aug 22, 2024 09:02

    Looking forward to read about your travels - knowing your articles its gonna be awesome!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 19, 2024 22:37 by Chris L

    Nice! I think I'll spend some time on this!


    Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

    Aug 22, 2024 09:02

    Looking forward to read all about it - and I'm very glad you're joining us.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 19, 2024 23:39 by Chris L

    I've had an article that fits this in the back of my head since last year. Just wrote it out!

    Spellhaven Station
    Settlement | Aug 19, 2024

    The town of Spellhaven Station grew up around the train station that shares its name.


    Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

    Aug 22, 2024 09:03

    I should probably read that one the journey starts in september - or is that just a sneakpeak?

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 22, 2024 12:32 by Chris L

    I'll make some updates to it for the actual competition. I just got excited, didn't read the rules, and jumped the gun!


    Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

    Aug 22, 2024 13:41

    Thats awesome, I love that you were that into it! i'll read it once the challenge started then.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 20, 2024 00:04 by Amelia Nite

    Ooooooh! This sounds so exciting! I already have the journey set in mind and can't wait to write more about it! ^^

    Aug 22, 2024 09:04

    Cant wait to read where your journey starts - and where it goes! This is going to be great.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 22, 2024 01:57 by Marjorie Ariel

    looking forward to it!

    Aug 22, 2024 09:09

    Thanks for joining the journey - cant wait what you come up with.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 22, 2024 03:57 by Tim Day

    What a great challenge! I'm gonna give this a go... using an old article as the basis to explore the Exile of Annika Lux as detailed in her journals. I think I'll use this challenge to write a few journal entries from Annika's POV during her travels.

    The Lost Journals of Annika Lux
    Document | Aug 22, 2024

    Possibly the greatest travelogue that the peoples of Shadowfire have never seen, the (mostly) Lost Journals of Annika Lux tell the story of her long self-imposed exile.

    Aug 22, 2024 09:08

    That looks like the perfect setup. I have to read more about Annika before the journey starts. Glad to have her (and you) join us.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 25, 2024 09:59

    I have decided to commit to this now. I will try to incorporate everything I learned during SC into it, including my new CSS.

    Sep 5, 2024 09:04

    Glad to hear this - cant wait to see your story and the new CSS at work!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Aug 27, 2024 00:01 by Keon Croucher

    I'm super into this idea and I think I'll definitely need to take part on this one! This is a really cool idea Tyrdal, thanks for sharing and putting it out into the community!

    Keon Croucher, Chronicler of the Age of Revitalization
    Sep 5, 2024 09:05

    Happy you like it, looking forward to see what you write!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Sep 2, 2024 00:35 by Jacqueline Yang

    Oh, this sounds like so much fun! I will definitely try to participate!   Now, I just need to choose a story. . .

    Sep 5, 2024 09:05

    Can't wait to see what you pick..I'm super excited for this!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Sep 3, 2024 02:22 by Shalyn

    I'm in!

    Sep 5, 2024 09:04

    Happy to hear that, cant wait to read of your journey!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Sep 4, 2024 23:03

    I hope I'll stick to the five month schedule and not forget this. But this sounds hella cool!!

    With the gears of the mind turning everlong, see what they produce in times old and new alike! Ignotas, Where Fog Turns Into Steam
    Sep 5, 2024 09:03

    I'll send out monthly reminders for new prompts, glad to have you with us!

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Sep 5, 2024 21:41 by ellipapa

    I'm so into this adventure! What a beautiful idea for a challenge! I'm definitely joining!

    “You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint the paradise, then in you go.”

    ― Nikos Kazantzakis

    Sep 6, 2024 07:38

    Hey newbie world builder here, just started my own journey a few days ago, but i'm still eager to participate :) i guess i can only learn from it. I assume the articles have to be in english right?

    Sep 7, 2024 16:30

    Not at all, worst that will happen is that I will have to use a translator to read your entry. Feel free to use the language that you feel comfortable with.

    Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
    Sep 7, 2024 11:28 by CoolG

    Here is my entry!! Merga Miriniay is a truly terrible place. Found on the outskirts of Inferncenem, this is where the unfortunate souls of sinners are subjected to eternal torment and suffering. After learning about this dread place, you should consider yourself lucky you were found when you were.

    Merga Miriniay
    Geographic Location | Sep 7, 2024

    The place where the souls of human sinners are punished.

    Explore the dark and mysterious Inferncenem, the bright and wonderful Caelumen or the magical and fantastical Ysteria   Have a good one!   Feel free to check out my Substack: CoolG's Awesome Worlds! Join the Discord and chat with like-minded people!
    Sep 8, 2024 02:20 by Ivory Garcia

    This sounds right up my alley! I'm going to try and give it a go.

    Sep 9, 2024 23:42 by ellipapa

    Here is my entry for the prompt of September!

    The longest journey, part I: Rohan's Escape
    Prose | Sep 10, 2024

    “You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint the paradise, then in you go.”

    ― Nikos Kazantzakis

    Sep 12, 2024 21:08 by Low-Life in High Orbit

    here's the place my military sf story began:  

    Luminous Research Outpost
    Settlement | Sep 16, 2024

    Sep 13, 2024 03:54 by Jeffrey Lebowski

    Here it is, part one of the The Longest Journey into Terramora!  

    1. Into the Unknown
    Prose | Sep 13, 2024