Welcome to World Ember 2023 Prep. This is an article about my process for getting ready for World Ember and contains my responses to the prep assignments that have been released by World Anvil. This article is specific to the world of Koren'thal, not my whole set of worlds, part of my plan is to develop elements of all my worlds rather than focusing on one.
Week One - An Area of Focus
When looking towards World Ember this year, there are many things that I need to consider when choosing an area of focus. The best method for decision will likely be to discuss several areas that could possibly be focus and then furthering this into ideas.
A World of Systems
This "world" as it is defined by World Anvil, is more than just a single planet, it is a whole universe which allows me to explore the basic idea of "what would happen if fantasy worlds with magic, expanded to the point of including science fiction". Therefore some of the elments of the world combine fantasy and science fiction together, without taking away any elements of another design.
System of Edge of Knowhere
Edge of Knowhere is a western-style science fantasy settlement that combines magical and scientific elements together. One option is to develop the system that this settlement is in, focusing on this planet and then expanding out to the different planets on the system. There are said to be several million people just in the system alone.
This would also allow me to develop a greater understanding of how some of the technology works in terms of exploring the space outside of the planet itself. Futher it would allow for the development of a unique system that is diverse in comparison to the base fantasy worlds I've been developing.
I'm excited about this because it expands a more diverse genre of content than the works that i've done more recently and it allows me to look into some of the more interesting works than i've already looked into thus far.
System of Night
I want to work on a new system of planets where there is a Dark Star, a star which provides enough heat for life but produces little to no sunlight at all. This would allow for a system inhabited by creatures that we consider to be "of the night". For me this includes, Vampires, Lycanthropes and ghosts. The idea behind this might be to add these creatures and nocturnal elements to things such as a cyberpunk city planet and adding these planets together. This would let me get a better idea for how to combine such drastic elements together so I can apply these to other forms of worldbuilding.
I am excited about this idea because it grants the possibility of looking at something unique and different, but also puts me in the mindset of trying something new. Meanwhile, the invention of this system allows me to consider the technological aspects of such a system but also gives me the freedom to experiment with different template types and different styles of writing for this one type of article. Particularly because there hasn't been a single narrative form/style that has been selected for the world.
Explorers
One possible focus is to develop the explorer's of the world. The explorers are those who report in the information from around the universe. Koren'thal is supposed to become a multi-star system RPG setting. In doing so, there should be access to a variety of different types of world so players and their Game Masters have a variety of different places and worlds to explore. The explorers are a set of characters who have learned about the different systems and are writing about them from their perspective, therefore though they are useful, they are also meant to be unrelliable.
I'm excited about this because not only does it give the universe more context through their voice, but it also defines the kind of person that each one of them is. By doing so, it also puts them in the line of fire for not being accurate. I also like developing their relationships because it will allow for a better understanding of what and who they like vs what and who they don't like.
Transportation
A shorter idea is to look at the different forms of transportation such as the different types of interplanetary travel and even further intersystem travel. Looking at the different typical fantasy species (and their possible offspring/offshoots) and the different types of transportation that each have developed oer time.
I'm excited to look into this idea because it would allow me to get a better understanding of how each of the creatures in the universe are travelling among the stars. Additionally, from the TTRPG perspective, I am excited to look at how I might develop the transportation for a TTRPG system that would allow for it to act as a base, as a location and even as a dungeon should it be required.
Exotic Species and Aliens
The final idea is to look at the various different exotic species that exist across the different planets in different systems. What this will allow me to do is to start describing different creatures from the worlds and further develop some of the ecologies that exist in these places. I can also use this time to develop more of the biomes in the planet but it can also be used to develop an understanding of the different scientific ideas that some worlds have in comparison to others.
I'd be excited about working with these Exotic Species and Aliens because the expansions of the typical fantasy species and people into a more science fiction realm would be interesting because it provides a new point of view, but also develops my own methods of developing cultures and species trees and timelines.
Additionally, with the consideration that Koren'thal may become an RPG setting at some point in the future, developing some of the additional playable species and creatures and mosters that could be facedall across the universe will put me in a better standing for developing such ideas into a better fleshed out mechanical or RPG book.
Other Worlds
Tagged below are the articles on my other worlds that I am looking at during World Ember.
Nonvyrox
Emore
Koren'thal
The Scattered Lands
Inspirations for World Ember
Linked in this section are worlds that I am looking further into for inspiration not only for content, but also for styling, prose and organization. I will link the creator of each world's author page, because of their simply excquisite work.
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