Summer Camp Pledge

Welcome to a grand new era of the World of Ethar. Gone are the archaic medieval methodology, replaced with science and magic. At the forefront of this new age are big ideas such as trains, airships, factories, and magic propelled by the powerful and not-quite understood "Chargestone", a fabled material found on all continents which not only now powers the mightiest empires in the world, but powers the very world itself.

This Summer, we are going to be expanding and solidifying ideas and creating a unique, fun, yet dark and mysterious world to share with players and friends. Come along and follow!

Theme Management

Power As A Theme In Ethar

Which are the powerful organisations within your world setting? Who are the powerful individuals? What kinds of power do they wield, and what are their weaknesses and needs?

— Janet Forbes, WorldAnvilite

The powers that be in my world are split between many factions. While I would love to create an article for all of them, I have decided to keep it small and focus on a smaller region in my world called the Matanza Desert and the Continent of Setica.
Right now, my plans are these big five themes of power:

• Imperial v. Military
• Civilization v. Lawlessness
• Kinfolk v. Nature
• Kinfolk v. Unknown/Chaos
• Chargestone

In the Matanza Desert, Power is as much a currency as gold or silver. While the Imperial Masters of Western Setica flaunt the idea of law and civilization in major cities, the military and guilds fund and build roads, tracks, etc. to spread the wealth. The nature of the Matanza is also a contendor. For as much work that the civilized folk do, the super-sandstorms, harsh weather, and insect life makes any mission a seemingly impossible task.
As for the term, "Chargestone", this is a material that is my catalyst for the industrial revolution but also serves as a natural source of energy for the world itself, which will be explained (hopefully in Summer Camp) later.

Frontier As A Theme In Ethar

Where are the frontiers in your world setting? And why would anyone want to go there?! What about metaphorical frontiers, like the “frontier of medicine” or space, the “final frontier”?

— Janet Forbes, WorldAnvilite

The Frontier of the Setica, or the Matanza Desert, is one that is filled with great mystery. Once the home to a massive empire which expanded through a divinely ordained forest that disappeared with the distruction of an object known as "The God Tree". Now, lawless individuals, bandits, and criminals roam tha vast wastes in constant battle with the Imperial Authorities over dominion.

Right now, my plans are these big four themes of the frontier:

• The Matanza Desert
• The Old Empire Long Forgotten
• Frontier of Science & Technology
• Frontier of Medicine and Magic

I added the last two as I also want to explore how the sudden use of Chargestone as a fuel in my world and the Industrial Revolution so I added these frontiers and unknowns as a way to test myself!

Relics As A Theme In Ethar

What aspects of the past are revered today in your world setting? Which peoples are remembered? And which are forgotten, and why?

— Janet Forbes, WorldAnvilite

The Relics of my world are one of my weak-points as I am bad at creating magic items in general in TTRPGs, but I hope that I will be able to work on these with friends and the wonderful community here on World Anvil. While I have no idea specifically which relics to pull from, I have a few places that I can reach for inspiration.
Right now, my plans are these big four themes of the relics:

• The Old Empire Long Forgotten
• Old Relics from the Old World
• Relics of the Wild West and Colonial Era
• Magical Items from the God-Tree

Through these locations, I feel I have more than enough to really sink my teeth into relics and magic items of the history of my world without really knowing much about the history itself.

Communications As A Theme In Ethar

How do people and organisations from different backgrounds or cultures communicate with each other? How does communication happen over short and long distances? Who in your setting communicates secretly or carefully, and how?

— Janet Forbes, WorldAnvilite

I am very fortutious in that the Industrial Age provided many new and excellent forms of communication other than the typical horse and messenger, so I am excited to see that. With the frontier and power acting as a combination, I want to explore all sorts of both historical and potentially magical ways that communication can be achieved in my world.
Right now, my plans are these big themes of the communications:

• Optical Telegraphs
• Magical Communications
• Roadways and Vehicles
• Railroads
• Airships

As I am mainly focused on the Continent of Setica, the technology will be more rudentimentary, not quite as fleshed out as with the larger, older empires of the Old World. However, I picture that Optical Telegraphs may be an entirely Setica-based thing due to its immense size, as I picture my Old World being quite smaller than the New World.
Other than that, I feel excited also to explore airships and railroads as well as who controls them and how. Tying it back to Power and Frontiersmanship.

MY PLEDGE

I pledge to participate in the World Anvil Summer Camp 2023 with great enthusiasm and dedication. My goal is to earn the Diamond Badge by completing all 32 prompts within Ethar: A Pathfinder 2e World, a swashbuckling and adventurous dark fantasy world where technologyy magic intermingle with great spirits and unknown.

The Purpose of this Summer Camp is to flesh out and help solidify the idea of this Wild-West/Victorian Era world as one that I can proudly share with players and viewers alike.

Furthermore, I am excited to engage with the community on World Anvil. Seeking feedback, sharing my progress, and embracing the community of fellow participants will be essential to my growth as a world-builder.

Dewy Diamonds Badge by Strixxline

Camp Feral Badge by Strixxline