Summer Camp 2024 - This is getting out of hand
Now there are four of them???
Oh hi there! Long time, no talk! I can feel the feral fever reinfecting me already ;) Last years Summer camp feels like it was barely yesterday, but maybe that is, because I wasn't very active this year overall. Turns out, starting a PhD position is a lot of work. But nonetheless, I made some cool shit in the last twelve months, some of which was even nominated for the recent Worldbuilding Awards! But that is not what we are here for! Today its time to plan out the coming event and do a bunch of homework leading up to it! But before I get into the actual assignments, a bit of context about what the worlds I'll potentially visit have going on. First (and most) is still Focis, Tai'Sans Hearth, my main world, the orc toroid. I'll probably still tinker with this one for years, so I want to include it on this list. On the upside, I have figured out a lot of the general framework for Tai'Sans Hearth by now, which gives me and easier time to find things to write about, but at the same time, this also means I may need to do a bunch of hard work making sure everything slots in nicely.Still, this means I can potentially use the Hearth as my joker for when a theme or prompt just doesn't fit my other worlds. Speaking of other projects, I also started a collaborative world, called Thræsh's Hold with Ben, my conspirator for many a brainstorming session. This world is far more narrow in its scope, but by having these distinct themes, I think I will have a good portion of prompts that fit this world suuper nicely. I hope that I can channel this world for those types of prompts and get me some good progress along the way, but I won't force any prompt on this world that doesn't fit it 100%. Then there is a completely different world, The Frontier, which is basically a sub-setting of Focis in which I am currently running a mystery/western campaign. This world is very vague and diffuse at this point, which is partially by design. All these places the players didn't go yet are not fully developed, and hopefully a few of the prompts may help me solidify the ideas of this continent/setting. Lastly, there is creative dynamite brewing in the Tomie channels. A few months ago, I opened a shared Minecraft server for the chapter members of my WorldAnvil chapter, and while this on its own has already been a blast, ohh boy has it also been exciting for new lore/worldbuilding. Because of this we made a shared WorldAnvil world, tentatively named "The Precedents", and I wanna use at least a few of the prompts of Summer Camp to flesh out my piece of the pie. Alas I have rambled on too long already, lets get into the Homework!
Actually, a thought did occur to me: I have four potential worlds to work on and there will be 4 themes! Maybe I could do 1 world per theme?
Especially now that all 4 themes are revealed, I will assign each of the above worlds to one of the themes!
Week 1: Organisation and Thræsh's Hold
Out of the bunch, change is best fit by Thræsh's Hold! Let me explain:Assignment 1-1: Change in my worlds
Consider what kind of changes would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.Thræsh's Hold is at its core about a world and setting at a crossing. Sweeping technological changes are about to occur and the gods of the world are doing everything they can to maintain the control over the situation. At the same time, one of the main genres of the world thriller thrives off the concept of change in my opinion. The plunge into a new, unknown situation is a classic starting point, for many great story concepts, so the Hold may be my best contender for this theme.
But what about the other three?
Focis Focis is by design a huge world in all senses of the world. Most importantly its old, ancient even. At it's core Focis does talk about the transience of life, which does include change, but ultimately is not the focus as the change does get lost in the noise on Focis. However, I realised one cool way of potentially answering change-themed prompts in focis. Each of the prompts could be used to flesh out one of the many pivotal points in Focis' long history and in turn could be used as a jumping point later to flesh out that era! The Frontier This world is at its core about the colonisation of a new unsettled continent and the drive further and further across a strange new world. Technological changes may not be the main focus, but society sure is changing right as we speak. That being said, the Frontier is by design a place that did not have a previous state in terms of civilisations. Instead these things are just now appearing on the continent at all, which is why I didnt choose it for this theme. That being said, the fact that this setting is meant as a campaign setting means, that I should be looking for all sorts of situations on this new continent, that are close to a big change, because those are great hotbeds for story hooks to reel my players in when we are exploring this world. The Precedents Out of the bunch, this world is perhaps the least fitting for the theme of change. Not necessarily because there is no change happening, but simply because the world/setting is so young, and as a result I simply don't know yet what sort of change may be around the corner.Assignment 1-2: Shooting for the Stars (or at least pledging to)
Based on this, decide how many prompts you'll go for during Summer Camp. Then, download the pledge document and fill it accordingly!
I pledge to achieve Diamond this SC! by Ninodonlord
Assignment 1-3: The great Taggening!
Get your categories and tags organized!Time for a plan, given the volume of worlds to organise. I will hopefully do these as June progresses, if I find the time.
- Focis:
- Revisit the folder structure of this world
- Reorganise all articles into the proper folders
- Check the tagging system so it works across my worlds
- Tag all articles missing any of their tags
- Thræsh's Hold:
- Sight all the articles currently in existence and check their dependencies to each other
- Talk to my cocreator about a tagging system that works for both of us
- Tag articles accordingly
- The Frontier:
- Make a category structure that makes sense for a campaign setting
- Organise the few articles currently existing
- Tag all articles with the same system as for Focis (see above)
- The Precedents:
- Sort all the articles created by my partner in crime
- Make an article explaining the tagging I wanna use
- Tag the existing articles
Assignment 1-4: Meta Madness
Take a look at your meta, primer, and any other high-level document and update it according to the current state of your world.As with the last, time for a checklist:
- Focis:
- Revisit the meta and potentially rewrite it
- Update the primer to include the cool new articles
- Make a list of the high ranking articles of Focis
- List which high ranking articles are still missing
- Thræsh's Hold:
- Check the meta again to see if we hit those marks
- Write a short primer introducing the currently existing articles
- Reconvene with my co-creator to maybe rewrite the meta
- The Frontier:
- Reread the meta, dont think it needs updating yet
- Write a primer for my players
- The Precedents:
- Write a meta
- Figure out what a primer for this world needs
- List the articles that need making first
Week 2: Refuge and the Precedents
Assignment 2-1: Refuge in my worlds
Consider what kinds of refuge would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.For Refuge I chose the Precedents as the world to match the theme, though this is the weakest match out of the bunch. Refuge does however still fit the world. Ultimately, based on our initial ideas, the Precedents is a world in which the inhabitants are stranded and yet will find a home in this strange world. Ultimately I will try to use the prompts of this wave to flesh out my part of this world and to figure out where to take this world collaboratively.
What about the other three?
Focis Focis is the worst fit for refuge out of the bunch. I don't see a huge theme overlap here, but I could perhaps find a prompt to flesh out the human consequences of the large changes happening every so often. Thræsh's Hold Thræsh's Hold does have a small overlap with refuge in the sense that the people branded heretics by the church of order may be in need of it. Still as with Focis, not the best match. The Frontier The Frontier was the other frontrunner for this theme. As this new world is being explored and colonised, many people of all sorts of walks of life flock to the new continent. One thing however would be extraordinarily prevalent: There would be people running from their old life, seeking refuge in a new one. Maybe a prompt or two could match here?Assignment 2-2: Accountabullies!
Find a community—whether that’s our Discord server, Facebook Group, your RPG or friend group, or something else.I had originally planned to fully revive the Accountabullies, a group we formed during last Spooktober (I think?), whose mission it is to lovingly bully the people to sign up for it, to meet their goals and create cool things. However, it is already the end of prep month, and I am way to busy to organise this. So instead I found an accountability buddy in the amazing Jada, who is both a fellow Tomie and very dear to me personally. I hope to encourage them to make some dope stuff throughout July!
Grandmaster ThatMomFriend
Jada T
There's so much worth loving in this world. You are one of those things.
Assignment 2-3: Styles and Layouts
Find ways to improve styling and layout in your world!
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
Assignment 2-4: CSS-Wizardry
If you’re a CSS wizard, maybe take the time now to give it a polish!
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
Week 3: Belief and Focis
Assignment 3-1: Belief in my worlds
Consider what kind of beliefs would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.Faith is a big thing in Focis making this an easy pick. To get specific however, we need to separate two types. First there is Tai'San, the creator and god of orcs. I have pretty much figured him out and doubt there will be a bunch of prompts fitting him. But fortunately there are gods, which are less engrained in Focis as a plane of existence and play second fiddle to Tai'San. That being said, these gods are as varied as the many civilisations populating the world. Dwarves have seven gods for which I have names and domains but not much else. The humans of Noria believe in a trinity (and a hidden dark fourth), which are barely explored at all. And Merfolk could have a pantheon, but I haven't even started making it. Thinking more abstractly, I have superstitions I can make and sooo many false beliefs people may develop of the world, which I am itching to create. All in all, this is fertile soil for the prompts to land on!
What about the other three?
Thræsh's Hold Thræsh's Hold does have a pantheon, but to me, exploring it doesn't really fit the vibe we are going for. The gods are a means to an end to us, a necessary part of the worldbuilding, but more a jumping off point to explore the actually interesting stuff. Superstitions on the other hand may be a good thing to explore further, because they're more closely tied to the people inhabiting the Hold. The Frontier The Frontier on the other hand is the worst fit for Belief. Faith doesn't really fit into the themes we are exploring in our campaign and so the best I can hope for is a better pantheon to explain to the nun one of my players is RPing as. The Precedents Once again, this is not the best fitting theme of the bunch. There are gods, which the characters in this world may worship based on their original homes, but this is more a minor footnote to their characters than anything else.Assignment 3-2: Inspiring Tunes
Create a bank of inspirations! Quotes, music, description of experiences and shower thoughts, etc.
Assignment 3-3: Mapping out the lands
Find art and pictures that inspire you, and grab a map if you don't have one (and need one).
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
Assignment 3-4: Old Inspirations
Check your inspirations again. Are they still relevant? Can you find any that better represent the current state of your project?
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
Week 4: Decay and the Frontier
Assignment 4-1: Decay in my worlds
Consider what kind of decay would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.Decay at last is what fits the Frontier, namely because of the long lost and gone civilsation that died out millennia ago: the second generation of dwarves, which colonised the continent and then perished to the Myconic plague. Their decline is a big part of what I want to explore when my players go dungeon-delving. Hopefully I can use the prompts of wave 4 to expand the lost civilisation of the dwarves so that I have cool tidbits to throw at my players in the future!
What about the other three?
Focis Focis does experience decay, but ultimately thjis theme is kind of antithetical to what the world is about. Most notably, Tai'San the orc god is capable of reversing entropy and as such, this world is meant to last eternally. Thræsh's Hold Thræsh's Hold does have some ovelap with decay, in the sense that the Thræsh, the mystical counterpart to the gods of order, is change inherent and as such ever gnaws at the foundations laid by the church and the people. If things are set in stone nothing can change and so the Thræsh seeks to erode all. The Precedents Finally, the worst fit for this theme is The Precedents. I do not see a big emphasis on decay in the world, though the collaborative nature of this worldbuilding may surprise me after all... Lets wait and see, shall we?Assignment 4-2: Optimal gameplan
If you like special tea when you write, stock up for a month. Tidy your office, make a “do not disturb” sign, and think about any other last-minute strategies to optimize your writing space and time!
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
Assignment 4-3: Homepage
Review your world homepage to hook potential readers!
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
Assignment 4-4: It me, the author!
Take a look at your author profile and pillar articles on your world and polish them!
TBD!
Unfortunately, June was busier than expected, so this task is being put on the shelf for now: I hope I can get back to it some time after Summer Camp!
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