Summer Camp '23 Pledge
And I thought I was done with summer camps!
Prelude!
Hello, everyone! My name is Static and this is my first Summer Camp on World Anvil! Despite the fact that I joined World Anvil very early on after its release, I never fully jumped into the tools and capabilities it had. I was just using it as a place to dump stuff for a homebrew setting that a future DnD campaign would take place in. I regret not utilizing those past years and taking advantage of all that was at my fingertips. Joining SC23 is my first attempt to rectifying that. I want to finally utilize everything I've been sleeping on, make some great articles both for any readers that bless me with their viewership and also my players that dedicate time every week to my games. To any readers, thank you for peeking through my world and reading all the random stuff I throw out. I appreciate every view that you give me and I value any feedback you might have to helping me make my world a more complete and fulfilled work. And to my wonderful players, if you see this, know that you're a big chunk of my inspiration for writing, world building and playing TTRPG's in general. I couldn't do this without you guys. Much love from the luckiest Dungeon Master in the world.
The World
Content Warning: My world contains themes and hints of slavery. I want to be upfront that I do not support such a concept in reality. I try my best to write such themes in a subversive way that doesn't overly push it onto my viewers. However, I know that the topic is upsetting to some and I wish to respect your boundaries. If you are at all sensitive to the topic, please turn back. As much as I want to have you here and enjoying the world, I would rather respect your boundaries.The world I will be expanding during SC23 is Draconia, a world I created as a setting for my current DnD campaign. It is a world where dragons (and their related subspecies) became the dominant species of the world. As such, society is fixated around them, their needs and desires. Cities contain wonderous ecological wonders that house numbers of dragons within. Banks are owned by the ruling dragons, rather than any kind of government, and stuffed to the brim with personal hoards of riches. Ecosystems in the wild were shaped and formed during the early stages of history, before the dragons fully settled into their role, leaving diverse terrains and mysteries behind for any adventurer to explore. Of course, you can't have dragons without arrogance, greed and a list of other negative qualities. Over the course of their history they've made plenty of enemies. From giants to other species of dragons, there's plenty to rumble with in this world. An intrepid and daring adventurer can tempt their fate fighting these foes, struggling to overcome their dire social status and become something more than just a simple number for their dragon rulers.
The themes of Draconia include dark fantasy, political mystery and general fantasy. I wanted to create a world with grim and dark backdrops, but with the potential for change. The idea of a light at the end of a long tunnel, if you will. The ideal that if one fights enough, finds the right item or says the right words in a diplomatic encounter, maybe that will be what changes the world.
Theme 1: Power
Which are the powerful organizations within your world setting? Who are the powerful individuals? What kinds of power do they wield and what are their weaknesses and needs?
Draconia is a world of power and control, so this theme fits perfectly! Whether it's the ruling Dragon Overlords of a region, or the reaching arm of the Council of Dragons, there's plenty of powerful organizations, individuals and small groups that make their mark in the world. These groups create the political backdrop for the world. They create the laws, regulations, territories and just about anything else government-wise. Of course, they aren't the end-all, be-all that forges this drama. Underneath them are the different systems of government that require all sorts of different individuals to run those different states. For example, Ruxan is an electocracy that has several leaders voted in by the voting population. In contrast, another region like Briggs is a kratocracy, a form of government where power is seized by the strongest individual. They do not vote their rulers in, instead those who wish to rule must prove themselves worthy through physical combat or other strenuous tasks.
My fist is all I need. I control the council. I control Metallan. All of Draconia is under my closed fist. The world is ripe for my plucking, with no one to stand in my way. This power is absolute and I do not plan to relinquish it anytime soon. Those who stand in my way will be crushed under the weight of my soon-to-be-empire. The Cinderclaw family name will live on for eternity, the undying emperors of Draconia eternal.Another power that is a combination of physical and political is the power of cooperation! As I stated previously in the prelude, a big idea I had in mind was that through proper diplomacy and relationship building, players and characters might be able to open the right door to change. Throughout history, some of the greatest developments have been accomplished through cooperating with other like-minded people, or, in some cases, putting differences aside to work together and create a compromise that works for every party involved. This is personified in the Defense Force Teams of Draconia, special military squads formed to keep Draconia safe from especially powerful threats. Over the course of time, some groups may grow to respect one another, or their opinions on topics may change due to the actions of another team. The potential for change, bad or good, is limitless. I've created a web to show off some of these basic relationships between some of the established Defense Force Teams. While some may have bad opinions of the other, that could change, just as the positive opinions may degrade depending on player and NPC action
Potential Articles
- Mayor of Virdio
- Governor of Ruxan
- Zalesh Region and its Meritocracy
- Viceroy/Vicereine of Zalesh
- Draconian Defense Force Organization
- Dragon Riders of Draconia
- Psionic Power
- Metaphysical Creation
Theme 2: Frontier
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”?
Man, this is going to be a tough one. For the most part, Draconia as a world is fully explored! When the most powerful creatures are element-spitting, flying, death-bringing lizards with an attitude problem, there's not much that doesn't get found! But that doesn't mean I'm not up for the challenge. There's always some undiscovered region that can be found. Whether it's an underground cavern with a sprawling network of mines, or a kingdom in the clouds, high above the reign of the tyrannical dragons. Not to mention the enemies that the dragons have made over the course of history. Perhaps they have some secretive hidey-hole that they're planning to strike from? Maybe its in plain sight? One way or another, there's bound to be some untouched place in this sprawling world. One such place that might hold these secrets would be the Severnaya Valley in Briggs. After being closed off from public access, the valley has been untamed for decades. Perhaps new mysteries have grown in that time, maybe new species have emerged? It's just waiting to be found.
Potential Articles
- Underworld
- Gigantia
- Altered Space
- Crucible of Worlds
- Spatial Sea
- Severnaya Valley
- Kingdom of Lor'xen Ixzar
- Abyssal Kingdom
Theme 3: Relics
What aspects of the past are revered today in your world setting? Which peoples are remembered? And which are forgotten, and why?
Now this is a topic I can get behind! Dragons are infamous for their love of the shiny shinies. With a world ruled by them, of course there's bound to be untold amounts of treasures, both historical and powerful. This theme also goes hand-in-hand with the previous two. Relics that have historical usage involving force is essentially using them for their power to gain further power.
It can also be implied that those relics have the power to change society as a whole, opening new frontiers to explore. Some of these artifacts may be related to a deity like Sardior. Artifacts given to devout followers who have proven themselves as worthy of blessing.
It can also be implied that those relics have the power to change society as a whole, opening new frontiers to explore. Some of these artifacts may be related to a deity like Sardior. Artifacts given to devout followers who have proven themselves as worthy of blessing.
Or they could just be long lost weapons from ancient warriors. The dragon wars of ancient ages involving giants, humans and other threats left behind numerous relics covered by layers of earth and soil. Uzambwe in southern Chromaticos holds many of these either within the temples of worship or beneath the scorching sands. They're just waiting to be uncovered and given a new home.
Potential Articles
- Secjem Iq Pos-Unfin
- Rolgaark, Eternal Storm
- Krotea, Blade of the Queen
- Yolgawtha's Guide to Surviving in the Abyss!
- Ever-flipping Coin
- Yolgawtha's Freaky, Wacky, Unbreakable Cage!
- Cinderclaw Registry
- Metal Flesh
Theme 4: Communication
How do people and organizations 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?
This is certainly a tough topic to write about. At least in detail. I know exactly what I can write about, the issue is making sure that I have enough detail to fully cover it and flesh it out. Communication in Draconia is a complex concept. There are plenty of languages to go around (it's a DnD world for crying out loud!), but I want to insert my own thoughts and ideas into those concepts. One such way is the language of Draconian. Instead of Draconic (the standard dragon language in DnD), I want this to be a separate idea entirely. Draconian is the official language of the world and accepted in every region, town and city. However, each region that I created I created with a different real-world inspiration in mind. For example, Ruxan is based around Latin/Europe, while Briggs is heavily inspired by Russia. Each of these regions has their own special dialect of Draconian that is also inspired by some of their real-life languages. A form of basic Draconian that is accepted and understood everywhere (essentially, English in America) exists, but these regional dialects add the uniqueness of individuality to each region that you would see by exploring different areas of the U.S. (soda vs. pop vs. soda pop vs. coke)
Other things I can consider writing about would be the mailing service in Draconia, as well as the methods of communication. The world is ripe with magic, so there definitely is scrying, sending and other magical ways of relaying information to others. Though this access would be limited to military and other high-ranking officials like politicians, doctors, etc. Those who were not of that category would be forced to use the mailing service. It's a whole can of worms that harkens back to the strict society and regulations of Draconia. If information can only be readily accessed by those who have power over others and wish to keep it, that leaves the door open to corruption. Not to mention scrying and sending are generally non-recordable, whereas letters are a physical item that must be inspected. Tampering anyone? No one can be that stupid, though. Alternatives to such a system would be created in order to subvert it.
As for who communicates, just about everyone has to communicate in this world. Communication is key to survival in several of the regions. Black-market assassins, back-stabbing family members, or even just struggling businesspeople all have the capability of attacking someone for another person's gain if the price is right. If the targeted person(s) aren't able to adequately communicate, they have no way to effectively protect themselves. If you know that someone is going to throw a ball at your face, you're going to move out of the way, right? But if there's no head's up, you have to react in that moment, and not everyone's reflexes are trained to save their skins at the drop of a hat. On the other side of that token, you have the ones who are trying to accomplish something. Are they making end's meat? Or are they trying to take out a corrupt politician just because it might be the right thing to do? If they can't keep their treacherous planning a secret, they might not fulfill their goals. So then the question becomes who will find a way to communicate the fastest and most effective way with the most up-to-date information?
Possible Articles
- Draconian Language and its Dialects (Could be several)
- Draconian Postal Services
- Scrying Network
- Ancient Languages of Draconia
- Underworld of Politics
- Latebras and its various criminal groups (also could be several)
- Orb of Unison
- Repeating Gabber
Potential Tie-Ins!
Power/Communication
Man, writing each of those was fun! But it also got me thinking about just how intertwined all of these themes are. For example, the black-market assassins I mentioned in theme 4 cross over into the theme of power as well. They're an organization that has some power to influence change in the world, via killing or kidnapping politicians, civilians or other important characters.
But in order to do this, it requires effective communication that can be trusted. How can they do this? Via relics! If they were to somehow get their hands on a relic that enabled long-distance, magical communications they'd have a massive edge over any kind of competition.
But in order to do this, it requires effective communication that can be trusted. How can they do this? Via relics! If they were to somehow get their hands on a relic that enabled long-distance, magical communications they'd have a massive edge over any kind of competition.
Relics/Communication/Frontier
Or we could look at it in another way. An adventuring party finds a relic while exploring a long-lost temple in an uncharted area. They managed to find their way through this area due to a map given to them by a wandering nomadic tribe that they could only use sign-language with. The relic that they find is a key to another world that activates upon touch.
Now they're in a completely foreign world, undiscovered by anyone till now. Not only do they have complete power over this world in a way by being the first group to set foot into it, but they also have power over their compatriots in their home world. They can't go to this new frontier and access anything special that it might have.
Which, maybe it grants its inhabitants the power of telepathy? Now they even have communication power over everyone else. The possibilities to mix, match and synthesize weird and wacky crap is endless!
Now they're in a completely foreign world, undiscovered by anyone till now. Not only do they have complete power over this world in a way by being the first group to set foot into it, but they also have power over their compatriots in their home world. They can't go to this new frontier and access anything special that it might have.
Which, maybe it grants its inhabitants the power of telepathy? Now they even have communication power over everyone else. The possibilities to mix, match and synthesize weird and wacky crap is endless!
Progress Tracker!
Click to see the big updatey table thingy bobber! Scorecard
Copper Power
Silver Frontier
Gold Relics
Diamond Communication
All Articles
Copper Power
8 Prompts
2 Wild Card Prompts
Theme Description
The first theme of prompts for SC23 is Power. What it means in your world, who has it, what type of power it is and how people wield it.
My Goal
I will be using these prompts to hopefully expand upon the different organizations and people within my world. There are a number of different groups or individuals that all have varying degrees of power in all aspects that can be written about.
Silver Frontier
8 Prompts
2 Wild Card Prompts
Theme Description
The second of Summer Camp 23's themes is Frontier. The exploration of undiscovered or uncharted lands and their subsequent effects. Alternatively, it could also mean the frontiers of concepts like medicine, technology or weaponry.
My Goal
After some note taking and planning, I have decided to use these prompts to fill out the Briggs Region of my world. Currently it is a little barren compared to Ruxan (so far the only region in my world I have filled out), and a number of the prompts can be weaved together if I write them properly.
Gold Relics
8 Prompts
2 Wild Card Prompts
Theme Description
The third theme of Summer Camp 2023 is Relics. Lost artifacts of importance, but also the idea that something old and influential like a city or extinct species can also be considered a relic.
My Goal
This wave stumped me more than I was prepared for. Unlike the Frontier prompts, I don't have a central theme that I can really connect everything back to. More like, many themes to connect a single article or two together.
Diamond Communication
8 Prompts
2 Wild Card Prompts
Theme Description
Theme four is all about communication. How people communicate via language, over long distances, silently, etc.
My Goal
This was actually a surprising wave full of things I can make fun if I put the effort into it. I'll be fleshing out certain aspects of the world but also having fun with this wave.
Prompts
Copper Power
Prompt 1
Organization
Prompt 2
Settlement
Prompt 3
Material
Prompt 4
Species
Prompt 5
Ethnicity
Prompt 6
Military Conflict
Prompt 7
Rank/Title
Prompt 8
Natural Law
Wild Card
Prompt 9
Species
Wild Card
Prompt 10
Tradition/Ritual
Silver Frontier
Prompt 1
Geography/Location
Prompt 2
Settlement
Prompt 3
Profession
Prompt 4
Species
Prompt 5
Species
Prompt 6
Material
Prompt 7
Character
Prompt 8
Tradition/Ritual
Wild Card
Prompt 9
Building
Wild Card
Prompt 10
Document
Gold Relics
Prompt 1
Tradition/Ritual
Prompt 2
Item
Prompt 3
Settlement
Prompt 4
Character
Prompt 5
Profession
Prompt 6
Myth/Legend
Prompt 7
Species
Prompt 8
Ethnicity
Wild Card
Prompt 9
Tradition/Ritual
Wild Card
Prompt 10
Natural Law
Diamond Communication
Prompt 1
Vehicle
Prompt 2
Technology
Prompt 3
Language
Prompt 4
Organization
Prompt 5
Species
Prompt 6
Character
Prompt 7
Document
Prompt 8
Building
Wild Card
Prompt 9
Character
Wild Card
Prompt 10
Condition
Tracking Statblock by Graylion
by Rin Garnett
Camp Feral Badge by Strixxline
Progress!
| Power Prompts | 5/8 |
| Frontier Prompts | 6/8 |
| Relic Prompts | 3/8 |
| Communication Prompts | 3/8 |
| Wild Card Prompts | 7/10 |
The One Time I Want Silver Elo...
| Silver Badge Progress | 24/16 |
Good Luck with your first SummerCamp. As someone whose WA story started very similar to yours, I can tell you I love this event. It has added in monsters, a couple of magic items, and in general some mayhem to my world, which is only fair considering how much mayhem players add. Wonderful maps by the way. Good luck on reaching Silver and enjoy the energy this event brings to the community.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I certainly hope to add lots of fun stuff to my game both for myself and my players. I'm very happy you like the maps. They are definitely a work of passion that I've strived to get better at creating. Cheers to a wonderful camp!