New Year 2024 Resolutions

Articles Reviewed

(Author - World - Article)

Caelinae -- Kadegan -- Gods-Touched

A great in-world explanantion of how a character might be singled out as a destined hero (or villain) long before their time. It was refreshing and useful for me to read a condition that was removed from game-mechanical aspects but could still be readily used in an RPG setting.

mutterwolf -- Charron -- Dragons

Dragons are presented here as spiritual manifestations, and with vastly differing receptions across the world. I enjoyed the quote/prose presentation style of the article, as well as the aura of mystery that remains - a good reminder that not everything in worldbuilding need be known.

philmillar -- Arborterra -- Arcane Generator

This article told me a lot about the surrounding world! The underlying technology of the magic-industrial revolution is a really important bit of worldbuilding, and being only 20 years young means it must still be settling into the world. It made me question the limits of technology - lost past, and present - on Durath.

Duelingburr -- Elturia -- The Coalescence

A description of different cultural rituals that accompany a spectacular event in the night sky that marks the new year of the world. This was inspirational for interpreting natural, celestial events within the cultures and calendars of the world.

Auzins92 -- The Lost Realms -- Anvil-Breaking

A highly plausible tradition for a traditional craft!. This could fit into a range of settings, but was nonetheless a beautiful read, and a reminder to enjoy the process of worldbuilding with ideas as they occur.

Darkseid -- The Great Library -- The Pale Rider

An eerie local legend, that I can imagine permeates common phraseology as well as superstition. Useful also for seeding encounters and adventures in an area.

Strixxline -- Malkora -- Atreimus

I really enjoyed this article on a fairly classic concept - a protector-warrior god. In particular, I like the Shard of Atreimus described here; it looks similar to a concept I recently added to my gods in Durath - aspects. I think I'll be reading more of these gods.

tjtrewin -- Journals of Yesteryear -- Floating Islands

Another article on a trope of fantasy stories that distinguised itself. This article conveys a deeper understanding of the science of the world, but the author has resisted allowing those details to clog up the article. Concise and enjoyable!

Tiirikka -- Melyria -- The Book of Simple Pleasures

This book is an insidious mechanism to draw in worshippers of a demon lord, hidden in plain sight. A fascinating idea, that I may have to repurpose in one of my own stories or games...

AmazingChi -- Axora -- The Cape of the Four Winds

This artefact-level item was really well described. The article is punchy but evocative, and the item gets the origin it deserves, being linked to a great power of the world. A good example, which has motivated me to think of these items in my world before they are needed.

Resolutions

• Separate my Worldbuilding from TTRPGs. Though I fully intend to continue using Durath as a setting for TTRPGs, I would like it to become more independant from that, both as a hobby and a fiction.


• Read World Metas, and Write my own. This one is a two-part resolution. Having read these articles, I commit to browsing the World Metas of these settings. I have glanced at a few already and they gave a great insight into that world. My world meta doesn't needed to be finished, but it does need to be started.


• Read more articles! This has been a really useful exercise, and the first time I've really read articles en-mass and engaged with the WA community. It has given me a lot of creative juice. I will aim to read more articles, and perhaps start following worlds so as to curate a feed.


• Enter three creative competitions. I get a lot of enjoyment and motivation from completionism or "achievement hunting". Often I chide myself for allowing this to permeate my worldbuilding, but instead I want to exploit it. I think some of my best articles have come from competition prompts. So, this year I will aim to complete at least three creative competitions!


• Dragons. I want to settle the role of dragons in my world. I'm unhappy with them being tacked on, feeling included as a trope of the genre, and want them to feel like an intrinsic part of the world. I have ideas but nothing down on digital paper yet. So, write the Dragons article this year!


• Create three Artefacts. Similarly, the greatest of magical items should be enshrined in the origins and powers of the world. I want to create a few of these as practice for making other items, and so that they can be used as seeds for worldbuilding and adventure writing.