WorldEmber 2023 Homework

Week One

With the ultimate goal of producing D&D content to share with the world, I want to make a regular habit of working on my world, beginning with NaNoWriMo (November) and WorldEmber next month (December). Where NaNo will be focused on word-count, WorldEmber will have a goal focused on hours, fleshing out my favorite parts of Lockhinge City and Greymantle Marsh! Instead of forcing myself to work on areas that are neglected or are boring to me, I'm going to really tap into what I find *fun* about world-building, and get back to the roots of why I started doing this in the first place.

Week Two

Mini Meta

Scope:
Living city and marshland ecosystems. Its own world within but apart the larger kingdom. Focus on the parts that are entirely new and not relying on previously published work, within and around Lockhinge City.

Theme: Genre, mood, subject matter, etc.
Swampcore, culture-centered, nature-centered, mystery and intrigue, ancient secrets, "mudboy and queen bitch," progressive, diversity and social justice, hidden danger, light humor and light horror
Drama: Points of overarching dramatic tension in this focus.
Dominant culture vs minority culture, dangerous political plays, civilization vs nature, inhabitants vs supernatural, looming and strange histories, wealthy vs poverty, tension over heirdom, lawlessness, constant danger in and outside city, city survival and expansion vs the powers of the swamp
Scene: The stage on which this focus is set. Its geography, natural laws, history.
Lockhinge City and Greymantle Swamp. City is mysterious, dangerous, liberal, progressive, seemingly lawless, sidways moral system. City of wealth, trade, secrets, crime, danger. Inhospitable and mystery-laden swampland. Everything functions essentially different than rest of the kingdom. Many societies and cultures found in and outside of city. Many creatures, cultures, dangers, geography, ecology, supernatural dangers and secrets found only here. City ruled by enigmatic Tiefling family, both viewed with awe and suspicion outside of the Greymantle.
People: Who used to live in this setting; who is living there now?
City full of nobles and common folk from many different cultures, a lot of minority populations there. Tieflings, lizardfolk, marshland dwarves, riverine halflings, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, orcs, kobolds. In swamp are also harpies, centaurs. Historically, known to have been many small settlements and tribes, many species, but also ruins from unknown peoples/origins. Tieflings settled en masse to create only Tiefling-dominant society. Made welcome place for people from all cultures and worked to have their city be part of the swamp instead of fight it and all its original inhabitants.
Inspiration: External stuff to inspire! Links to pinterest or other things that will refresh the inspiration well.
Pinterest - Lockhinge Aesthetic
Pinterest - Lockhinge Fashion
Wiki: Melting pot, Cultural Amalgamation, Multiculturalism
Everglades, New Orleans, Seattle
Sarajevo, Malacca, Cadiz, Trieste

Week Three

Work on homepage!
Since we don't have much in the way of a homepage, it was basically starting from scratch. I'm terrible with layouts, so pulling it all together and posting it on here (especially in an accessible way) is mostly going to be stick's kingdom. I'm just pulling together notes and writing things behind the scene for an eventual homepage.
I'd barely thought about audience and intent and all that before now, as this was originally just a game and world building between two people. But now that we're hoping to eventually start sharing and publishing things from this setting, having a homepage whenever we can swing it will be key.

Week Four

Last minute prep!
REMEMBER: Keep scheduling those hour blocks, because habit is key! Remember this is all generating for later. Re-read the homework! Re-read all the pages in our WorldEmber folder. Don't forget fun drinks, showers, cozy socks, MUSIC, maybe to some art as well. This is practice for a year-long challenge, so don't hin of it as a sprint that ends here. Don't forget to move around, Dance, traction. Work on the tiny models, video games, make the house look nice, practice Vietnamese. Look at our Vanishing Asia books. Look at our other sourcebooks. Check in with Don, and anyone else working on stuff?