Summer Camp 2022 Eddies Reading Challenge

Overview

The thing with Summer Camp is, you have 31 prompts for every day of the month. A dangerous task because of writer's burnout or just overworking yourself. I did not do that.
But reading all of them...all of those Summer Campers... RandoScorpio, Eccbooks, Laurabones, ShadowPhoenix, Amelie, Annie, Stormbril, Panthers Eye, just to name a few. So I picked a few for four prompts and did some serious reading without burning out. Accomplishments at least.
So, here are some of my favorites for four prompts I picked beforehand. Please enjoy and give them some love.

Prompt #1

Answering the prompt "a person considered villainous or monstrous"

And here we go again. Agia. The world of the Goddesses, built, maintained and written by the incredible Panthers' Eye. Such a loreheavy world and now we have Urgan the Usurper. Not only is his name compelling, but also his story. His life and his actions are not bound to him and his goal - or target - alone, but also inflicts wounds on e.g. the Môrwens or the Galifrem, surface or not. It is an incredible piece of lore and storytelling, touching different parts in only a few words, it feels like a spiderweb; stories, betrayal, hope and dispair awaiting right around the corner on every crossing of the strings. It triggered some thoughts and processes. I know I'm trying to connect most of my stories and my worldbuilding to each other, but Panthers is working her ass off to create a believable world and she did a brilliant job. I have to say, I can learn much things just by reading her articles and connecting the dots. Maybe I can create, inspect and adapt in a way it reaches the Panthers' Way.

Hanhula.
Sarah.
Silas.
Strong names with a strong history. And just like many other great stories the death of a woman is the cinder & spark which starts the fire. In a tragic story of superstition and family nonsense, this character tried everything to keep his family together. The costs don't matter. And this is the point where I can learn to create chaos, havoc and heartbreak on a small scale with big events and broken hearts. It only affects a few, but their world shatters as Silas is trying his best. Compelling, I have to say, compelling.

The Archmage Anvar was as simple as he was effective, both in person as in the article. Sometimes a great story comes with great responsibility details, but in a very efficient way. A little bit here, a little bit there, BUMM. Destruction all over the place.
I have to learn the ways of ShadowPhoenix, for her the devil is in the details. And there is no need for thousands of thousands of words if you can create a compelling character and his story in just a paragraph.

Three out of three, but there is so much more to every prompt. So... well, I picked a few I found quite interesting, so a little bit extra love for this characters and her creators.

Qurilion is doing a great job. Not only with his characters, but also with his world. Deep dive into the unknown horror called Patala. Muradov is one of those who has found themself a niche and broke the borders. I really can emphasize with him, struggling not to be the controlled, but to be the controller so he can't get hurt. I do love characters with a background someone can get behind, but also with a background and a lifestory others would shroug and wimper just by hearing the tale of it.
I possible can't say more. Another great article, another great article, written with precise motion and with the heart of a storyteller. I only can watch and learn.

A pragmatic, straightforward god with another straightforward article from Amélie. What can I say? The tyranny of the Divine is mostly an approach to gather more influence on the mortals and the forging god is no difference. But instead to be someone like the water god, Zeus or Hades, he doesn't do it for mere power. Yes, of course, he wants to spread influence, but also...progress. The future. To bring forward the industrialisation. Simple. But clever.
I can get really good with this if I can take in what Amélie was doing here: "simple" gods with a goal and not just a god with the wish for party and power. And what can a god offer than the future itself?

Prompt #2

Answering the prompt: "Somewhere in your setting, describe a tradition which keeps monsters or bad luck away"

Ononomad did it again. I can't really say what I like the most about this article: the reason you have to go through the Tithe; the exploitation from the Lords of Fire towards their "protected"; the bonescribe and the fear of being destroyed on failing the tithe.
Pretty simple, pretty effective. This is a good example what I still need to learn. Those are small rites on a grand scale, one thing some of my works are still missing or aren't so fleshed out as this one.

This one is in german and like Ononomad it was very simple and pretty effective: pendants out of quartz, manufactured by dwarfs. Trinkets made from dwarfs for dwarfs. Excellent worldbuilding with only a few words.

Sacrificing and drinking potions until it leaves the system... yes, that is the world of the Divine Tyranny, where gods are manipulating mortals just to gain an advantage. Well, this is the status quo of gods including mortals.
Well executed, well described and well built into the world. I still have to build my phanteons, so I might take one idea or two from this and how to do it the best way possible.

Prompt #3

Answering the prompt: "Somewhere in your setting, describe an artifact that embodies a hideous or monstrous idea"

A very easy way to describe the building of worlds. I do picture my two Eternals going into the World Anvil and crafting Koria. Or other worlds, both playing with each other, exploring ideas and concepts. The small tinkering of tools and the crashing of hammers weaved into a melody of the ancients. An extraordinary idea, small in its concept, written down on the side of a paper, executed so well, it is so natural as it was ever there. Well done, well done, I do have to learn the way of the small ideas with big outcome.

A Chaostech core which powers an entire city which is moving at a speed it would normally not reach... serious Warhammer-meets-Bioshock vibes here and something I could and should adapt for something in the near or far away future. I did learn that the best things in live comes with a dark side mostly. Light and dark, heat and cold... well done.

An artifact which strips you off your emotions, your caring for other people, your caring for possible consequences and gives you pure freedom of mind? Hideous and very dangerous, I don't wanna know which person might take an advantage from it. Good thing it was locked away and I do like the dialogue of the two characters. It is a good way to tell the story of something without just...well, write it down.

Prompt #4

Answering the prompt: "Somewhere in your setting, describe a lost or discovered artifact of significance or power"

Another one from ShadowPhoenix. I watched it on her twitch as she was creating it. It was a marvellous sight the see it getting its shape and her creativity just gushing out of her. A sinister thing, this pebble. Unaware for the unknown and most of the owners, but cruel for those who know. And people who loses the Pebble of Luck. Small thing, great power. I remember a story about a ring or something...hu, this is very similar. And also horrifying.

Sweet little story about a mirror mirror on the wall... well, not anymore, but it is like the other artifacts one with significant power in its simpleness. Combined with the story and the fear coming from Titania makes it more disturbing than anticipated.

I couldn't decide between those two so you get them both. :D

An axe so divine no mortal could forge it. An axe so sharp and so infused with godly power, it never dulls or breaks. I'm unsure but I think I heard this somewhere... well, maybe, but never so pretty and so well told as here. Buried with its bearer like all ancient weapons Damascus (it is a great name, be it city or weapon) it is shrouded in mystery. Well done and I do might learn from Riverfang how to craft divine powers and weapons.

And the last one... Stormbril and his world full of horrors Cathedris. The Waxweep Stone - because it weeps horror inducing wax - is this kind of body horror I enjoy the most. It is simple and so it creeps under your skin and make you tremble and shiver. And not with anticipation, as Frank N. Furter would say. I'm an amateur in the field of body horror and Stormbril is a teacher in his own, cruel ways.

Much more love

The problem with World Ember and Summer Camp: too many good authors with too many good stories, worlds and ideas and concepts, that you can't love them all. Well, you can, but that would create a monster article and so I did some further reading and picked a few. Please enjoy. :)