Eddies Reads for the Ice, Ice Summer Camp 2023

Overview

Summer Camp 2023 is over. I say that with a smiling and a crying eye.

Smiling because I could expand both my world of Koria and the Humans are Space Orcs setting and read so many damn good articles (more of them later down).

Crying because it is over. Because my wave of serotonin now came to an end. Because my Chocolate article train inspired so many people. Because the community will now split up again for a few months, venturing into their own worlds, their chapters or other supportive groups and hammering down systems, worlds, planets, organisations, characters, composing and singing songs or just... sentinent bread.

I learned a few things this Summer Camp. How to write compelling stories, how to give my readers a good time (and that is whats my priority), make their stay worth their while. How to make my articles not only compelling to read, but also to look at. Yes, I know that the theme for the Space Orcs is not finished...it is on my to-do-list. I also learned a few neat CSS things which I will show off in future articles. Two can be found in the Space Whale and Sword Maiden articles (thanks to Stormbril for the inline spoilers!) and one other thing, visually compelling image containers, are going to be embedded from now on and backwards as soon as the SC articles are released from their non-edit-lockdown.

My goals for this Summer Camp were to get Copper and expand the world itself, laying more and more groundwork. I did that, gave my Gavín a wonderful wife which is also driven by wanderlust and her curiosity for the past, but not of the bloodmages that were the family of the Longardir. I also managed to lay some of the groundwork for my novel set in the University of Hulwar with my venerated character.

But what about the future? What about my Tales of Koria? Oh, we are on that. We are on track to World Ember, where I want to induldge further into the Tales. We have a lot to write about but there is work to do beforehand. Specifically the rest of my species and the clans of the Dwarves, scattered throughout Koria. Culinary worldbuilding is part of that and I want to get to speed with that. Organisating my articles and everything else is a thing which is brewing under the surface right now. And what do I want to say with all of this bubbling? Full speed ahead to write the first things during World Ember!

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Ah, Miss Izette. And her world of Kalan. I mean, where do you go when you have worked, when you are hungry and when you want to eat? In company, with other people, with rules and orders? Correct, right there. So thought-out, so splendid described. Give it a small read and don't get hungry, it is not my fault!

Irath. The World of Panthers and her two Goddesses, Irath and Rathias. Everytime Panthers releases a new article from her world, it is a sight to behold and a delight to read. And in this case I was there when it was created. The hammering of the rules, of the grounds the church stands. Marvelously done with three sigils, behind them more information, explaining the three religious believes. A self-drawn structure right in the middle, explanations down below with the commandments of the church at the bottom of the article... here we witnessed the birth of one of the most powerful organisations in Agia.
Such splendid use of structures and small drawn images is a masterclass in and itself. I need to learn to draw just to be on her level. Well done indeed.

What is the best way to celebrate your end of training and the beginning of your possibile apprenticeship? Correct, with a large event where you show off your hard earned skills. Muscles under sweaty skin hammering away, sparks flying, CLINK CLANK CLONG all day and then you present your work to critical eyes. Whats next? Admission? Yeah, probably. You can get an apprenticeship, move to a different location to perfect your craft, network a bit, looking older students over the shoulder... that hits a nerve and it did hit good!

With eight legs, vibrant colors, bizarre patterning, and kaleidoscopic biofluorescence, the Nisoran platypus is a mockery of evolution and symbol of the need for regulation in genetic engineering.

And just with the first few words Rin got me. The title is well earned since those platypus are... dangerously curious. Bioengineered, somehow very resiliant creatures, they can be found everywhere! And I mean it. Even when they are larger predators, some adopt the platypus as pets?! HOW?! And this cause probably the title of the article. Job well done.

A tale of two goddesses, fighting over an artefact; Sabes and Gazezu, the goddesses in question. A tale of how the world lost its magic, of how two bickering goddesses are forced to work together to safe the world. Or of what remains after that. Short, small, easy to understand. Come, gather around the campfire and listen...

Faithpoint is one of those settlements which appears to be very normal. But when you dig deeper, be it out of curiosity or necessity, then you find things. Ruins. Events. History. Everything connected but... all without a good explanation. Why is it happening here, in this agriculture village? What is so special about it? We may never know. Or we should pray we never find out...

Rhomeia reminds me a lot of old Rome and Athens. Filled to the brim with ancient culture, rich in history, populated by thousands of families. Creeking and crunching in the joints because of a huge load of bureaucracy. A capital so vast it is its own hive. Or sometimes even hivemind.

Bring the might of Ancients with you, so you can tear down other empires. David vs. Goliath. And the Rhomeia are one hell of an angry David.

We all know the trope of "Gods need prayers to be alive". But the idea of immortal beings, that are so fed up with their eternal existence that they listen to the prayers of the mortals just to have a purpose in live and a reason to leave their beds in the morning, spoke to me on a different level. Long sentence is long.

One Special Love

This was one of the articles which not only made me shiver. This one made me cry. And not even the salty sea could drown my tears. It hit me on a different level. The description of the circumstances and then the letter itself was gut-turning. I feared for what I would read and I needed to catch my breath for a while after I read both of the post-scriptums. I have so much to learn, so much to read. Cries & Tears of grieve and joy. Well done.

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More love or "Did you see this?!"