Summer Camp '23 Pledge

In Summer, we write!

This year I have decided to pitch my tent alongside all you wonderful worldbuilders and do my best to write what I can throughout this challenge. During my years of being on World Anvil, I have participated in very few of these challenges and have only achieved Copper back in 2021. I hope this year I can push a little further, but (somewhat unfortunately) I know myself rather well, especially when it comes to month-long challenges so will be content to reach Copper for the second time if I can.
My worldbuilding focus will be on this world, where Alenya's Adventures take place. Despite this "world" being based on a premade solo journalling RPG, there is plenty of room to expand outside of the game itself and I intend to continue doing just that, from the smaller details to the larger ones as I look beyond the horizon of Alenya's current home.
I will be using this page to keep track of my progress, and to remind myself of certain things, such as - this is for fun, and to not place unnecessary pressure on myself (here's looking at you, future me!).

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Support and Accountability

"It's dangerous to go alone! Take [these]..."

Challenges like this are exactly that, challenging, so I will be looking to the following communities for their wonderful support and encouragement as well as doing all I can to return the favour.
Excellent people of the Cookie Cottage Chapter

Wonderful folks of The Golden Pinecone

Most excellent and inspiring beans of the greater World Anvil community

Summer Camp Camp Chill Badge

by Rin Garnett

A custom badge made in honor of Annie Stein's Camp Chill.

Nnie's Camp Chill Guidelines

Remember the prompts are suggestions, not requirements.

Write what you're passionate about, leave what you aren't.

Relax when you feel tired.

Fight off any pesky brain-squitos trying to make you doubt your work.

Don't abandon your non-summercamp goals! Write that article you're itching to write, even if it doesn't fit any prompts.

(Shared with permission from Annie Stein. Read her thoughts on 'Camp Chill' on her Camp Pledge.)
If you'd like to repost this badge, add [imgblock:4574878] or [img:4574878] to your article.
If you'd like to repost the guidelines, Amy Winters-Voss made a block version you can use by adding [block:1050823] to your article.

Initial Ideas and Notes

First Wave / Copper Prompts Theme : Power

For this world the word "power" made me think instinctively of magic. This is a broad subject which has plenty more to be expanded and developed, including how it works with technology and what organisations are born from it and aim to have a level of control over it. Of course there are also powerful people in the world, some unnamed, some with little more than a name. Here are just a few that come to mind.

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Characters:

Kirdoth, Elder of High Rannoc

Telaeri, Ruler of the Underlands

Alenya's Coven Leader

Organisations:

(Informal) Covens

Academy of Arcane Arts

Technology:

"magi-tech"

Second Wave / Silver Prompt Theme : Frontiers

This has been a tricky theme to think about, especially considering geographical frontiers since this world is being based on a game which has pre-made locations. However, a couple of these locations could work rather well for it.

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Locales:

The Strange - a peculiar place full of wild magic and plenty of mysteries and curiosities. The only way to access this place, which is presumably on another plane of existence, is via a portal.

Dreamwater Depths - this locale is much closer to home, being located deep within Meltwater Loch, but being so far underwater means few land-dwellers have the means or reason to visit, and therefore know very little about it.

Third Wave / Gold Prompt Theme : Relics

There is definitely a kind of magic about discovering ivy or moss-covered ruins and ancient relics hidden in sunken temples, both in real life and in fiction. In terms of the game Apothecaria, there are numerous prompts referencing ruined buildings, or sunken ships and treasure chests so there are plenty of areas to explore with this theme. I also quite like the concept of having "Living Relics", characters who are the surviving remnants of a culture or kindgom, such as ancient elves whose immortality lets them linger beyond the death of the realm they may have once ruled.

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Locales:

Dreamwater Depths - as mentioned above, there is little known about this locale, yet from the prompts included in the game it appears to be full of sunken ruins, broken ships and a number of ghosts.

Hero's Hollow - this locale is essentially a classic RPG dungeon, therefore filled with plenty of potential to house ancient and forgotten relics. Perhaps the Ruler of the Underlands has their own personal museum to preserve that which finds its way into their realm?

"The Sky forgets, but the Earth remembers.": Referring to the fact that above ground, beneath the sky, things are ever-changing and moving forwards, often forgetting that which came before. Yet underneath, relics may be lost to the earth, but those beneath the earth find and remember them, preserving them.

Fourth Wave / Diamond Prompt Theme : Communications

Methods of communication in this world is not something I have given much thought to yet, other than that I know postal harpies exist and so already have one area there to write about. Magical technology is something that could work quite well here too, with numerous magical devices allowing communications across distances. As Apothecaria drew inspiration from Studio Ghibli films, I feel it would be appropriate to include something equally inspired by one of their films: Kiki's Delivery Service. Witches who have a particular fondness or talent for flying could happily set up their own local postal services.
As with all the themes this year, it goes without saying that what I write will depend entirely on what prompts we are given. My ideas for this diamond theme are very limited, so I look forward to seeing what ideas might form and flourish under the guidance of these prompts.

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Technology:

"magi-tech" - magical devices that allow for either short- or long-distance communication

Organisations:

postal harpies

Paper Wings Postal Services (PWPS), sending your letters flying safely across the country.