WorldEmber '22 in Review & 2023 Resolutions

And just like that, a new year begins.

"A new year? Again? I thought we did this already."
— Aster, exhausted by the relentless march of time

During WorldEmber 2022...

I reached my goal of 5k words! I named "Spiderworld", it is now called Lauthon City. I made some quick character articles for some of the most important people in the City (though I procrastinated Spidergirl herself a little bit too long...).

I also did some work right here in SanZera! I finished the article for the Bloodpeaks and created the Rivegonian Pass. I also created a brand new species of flower, the Red Blessing in response to one of the advant prompts. I'm really happy with the Blessings, I think they add a lot of interest into mountains.

I also spruced up the teeny article of Rivego. Maybe one day it will have more details in it, but for now it's just a forest.

I'm also proud to say that I definitely accomplished my secondary goal of having fun! I spent many mornings sitting down at my computer and just reading through the articles that people shared on the server. It was tons of fun, and very inspirational. I don't feel disappointed at all that I didn't reach 10k, because reading through all the beautiful writing that everyone else did was as much a reward as I could ever want.

WorldEmber 2022 Pledge
Generic article | Nov 4, 2023

Here we go again!

2023 Reading Challenge

This has to be one of my favorite challenges of the year. I love the opportunity to read others' work and get inspired. I would love to write about some of the articles that I read during December, but in the spirit of the challenge I'll pick brand new ones that I haven't read before. Of course, that won't be hard--everyone is so creative!

#1: Pocket Zulo by MandoMC

Pocket Zulo
Item | Mar 26, 2023

Tired of being alone in the library researching? Need some help in the kitchen? Need extra hands for the kids? Look no further then the Pocket Zulo!


A delightful little article about an "item" that can do all sorts of tasks for you... just make sure not to leave it alone! I liked how short and sweet this one was. It quickly explained the basics, while also leaving plenty of space for imagination and intrigue. I especially liked the list of disclaimers. The whole article gives me the suspicion that I'm not being told the whole truth... but I'm sure it's fine!

#2: Nyx by Graylion

Nyx
Character | Aug 13, 2024

A cat person that was kidnapped and trafficked, rescued by pirates, and now owns her own ship and follows her own rules as she travels amongst the stars. Can it get any cooler than that?

The layout of this article was quite plain, but it made up for it with an awesome character concept. It provided detail in all the right places, and lots of meaningful quotes! I found myself envious of how well it captured the character so effortlessly. It will have to be an article I remember when I try to make articles for my own characters; I often struggle to know what I should and should not include.

#3: Yggdrasil Online by minttea

Yggdrasil Online
Technology / Science | Dec 19, 2022

A VR game that was built by a bunch of unrestrained AI and rushed developers, that was then seeded with NPCs capable of human-like intelligence. This was a fascinating read and really got my imagination roving. It was a very different approach to the technology template, which I found refreshing!

#4: Uvivuuryang by Khalan

Uvivuuryang
Military Conflict | Dec 31, 2022

The Izij have been migrating in their droves from the homeland, Tixan, almost like 'parasitic worms' in the words of an Uganan pamphleteer. But why, you may ask, because of the Uvivuuryang, the great struggle over who is heir to the crown.


A religious conflict that has been going on for decades and displacing hundreds of people. I don't read a lot of conflict articles, so this one was quite different for me. It provided an excellent window into multiple cultures of the world. It inspired me to work more on the religions in SanZera, and to better explore how the power structures within them could create problems. Religion can be a rather bloody topic, after all...

#5: Tattooing Ithakills by Catoblepon


A quick article summarizing how different kinds of people put markings on their bodies. It explains the different kinds of tattooing, including scarification and burning. It had a special section on how people with scales go about marking their bodies, as a regular ink tattoo does not always work. The article was short but to the point, and added some very interesting depth to the world!

#6: Ahelian by RiverFang

Ahelian
Organization | Jan 30, 2023

The Ahelian is the formal name of the brigade that is in charge of providing security for the Elven capital of Alfensil, but it is also known by many other names. As the second largest of the Bauxatehn's brigades, the Ahelian is specialized in magic.


This was an amazingly detailed article on a military unit that seriously blew my mind. It's crazy to me that all of this is fiction that someone just made up. It feels like I'm reading about a real organization! The amount of information in here is just amazing. Each battalion has a clear purpose and their own crest. It really showed me that a military unit can be an interesting article packed with cultural details and lore about the world!

#7: University of Hulwar by CrazyEddie

University of Hulwar
Building / Landmark | Jan 29, 2024

This University is new and old at the same time. Built on the ruins of the Dragon Sun Empire university, it holds many old hallways, locked rooms and deadly secrets. Not including the unbound magic and the things down there.


A magical school! This article was thrilling, I loved the details it had about how it used to be a fallen Empire's school and now it has been rebuilt and repurposed, leaving behind remnants of what it used to be hidden behind the walls. Magical schools always have so much creative potential. I just love imagining the kinds of classes, teachers, and students that would be there. It inspired me to put more effort into the educational opportunities of the people of SanZera. Would SanZera have magical schools, too? I'm squealing just thinking about it.

#8: Magic in Niorath by Kefkejaco

Magic in Niorath
Spell | Jul 4, 2023

An excellent summary of how magic works in the world. This article left no stone unturned and presented all of the information in an easily understood way. I really felt like I understood how magic worked in Niorath after I was done with it.

I have already known that SanZera's Aura needs a rework. This article provided for me some inspiration of the kinds of things I could include. Niorath's magic is very different from SanZera's, but there was still things for me to learn.

#9: Fae by MHBiscup

fae
Species | Jul 7, 2023

The smallest of all sophonts species, fae are flying insectoids known for their particularly strong natural attunement to the magical fields of Vazdimet and sizeable Imperium reserves at birth.


Little space bugs! I'm in love with these guys. This article was packed with fascinating information. I loved how they cannot see very well and instead primarily use their sense of smell and taste to percieve the world. They are so interesting because they experience everything from such a different perspective than I would. It really inspired me to consider how different creatures could use their senses in unique ways to navigate their environment.

#10: Ancient Gifts' Non-Correlation Theory by Escritora Novata

Ancient gifts' non-correlation theory
Document | Dec 20, 2022

This one describes a document that was written by a scientist that is not considered a "real" scientist by his culture's standards. It was a very interesting read because it seeded so many other details about the world that made me want to read more! The article itself is not particularly meaty, but the things that it hints at were fascinating. Documents are really important for a lot of reasons, and I think it's a template that is too often ignored, especially by me.

Conclusion

I adore the yearly reading challenge! I'd love it if they were quarterly, so I could look back at the end of the year and see the kinds of things I was interested in. This year I specifically looked for articles that I hadn't heard of before. I picked articles from the worldember lists that did not have any comments in them, and I asked people for articles that they liked but didn't get love. I found so many hidden gems. I wish that I could have the time and capacity to look at all of the beautiful things people created this December. There really is no end to the creativity in this community.

2023 Resolutions

"I have always hated resolutions. Goals. Aspirations. Whatever synonym you want, they always fill me with dread. I can never accomplish things like that. My executive dysfunction simply will not allow it. So instead, I lean into the fixations I am granted. Whatever comes will come. Whatever does not, will have to wait."
— Aster, trying to manifest an ounce of self-love

I hate new years resolutions. I'm not going to make any because they always trigger my depression. Instead I will strive to try my best this year. I will strive to continue working on the things I am working on: being kind to others, having an open mind, active listening, meaningful empathy. I will pet my cat whenever I think about it. I will draw some pictures in the mean time.

I'm looking forward to the good things of 2023. We cannot even imagine them yet. Isn't that wonderful?

To anyone who hasn't heard it yet, you're worthy, capable, and loved. And you don't need to write down your resolutions if you don't want to. You don't need to make them at all. Not everything is so quantitative.

Thank you all for another great year as part of the best community on the internet. I love you, good luck, and happy new year!

A diluted calico cat sitting in a cardboard box with a white sheet on the inside.
MisC in a Box by Aster Blackwell


Comments

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Jan 6, 2023 19:20

Thank you for including my magic article! Glad you liked it ^^ Some very nice picks in here. As for resolutions trying your best is a good goal, no need to stress yourself out about not meeting high expectations you might otherwise set for yourself :) Also your cat looks cute^^

Feel free to check my new world Terra Occidentalis if you want to see what I am up to!
Jan 6, 2023 23:45 by Aster Blackwell

You're welcome and thank you for sharing it!

Jan 6, 2023 21:12 by Amanda McRoberts

I'm honored you read and enjoyed the Pocket Zulo. They're a running joke in my D&D campaigns, so I'm glad that someone outside of it enjoyed it.   And since when do sales people lie?

Jan 6, 2023 23:45 by Aster Blackwell

Ahem right of course. Sales people never lie. My mistake.

Jan 7, 2023 22:51 by TJ Trewin

Congrats on reaching your 5k goal during WorldEmber! :D Thank you for the kind words to everyone at the end of this article - I hope you have an excellent year!


Journals of Yesteryear


I just finished some new art in my latest article: Pinecrest College of Aviation!
Jan 8, 2023 23:46 by Aster Blackwell

Thank you!! <3 I just try to say things I'd like someone to say to me sometimes

Jan 10, 2023 16:40

Thanks for the nice words and that we get to know you a bit better. I feel it, the thing with goals and stuff. Hard to keep, easy to miss. Let it flow like it come is the best way. And thanks for including my University, I hope my prose, short stories and maybe novels can do justice to the now set bars (as high or low they were and are). Lets explore it together. :)

You wanna see what we did for the last events? Go, click here: Eddies Major Events
Jan 11, 2023 21:06 by Aster Blackwell

<3 Of course! You're very welcome

Jan 28, 2023 23:42

I've been meaning to come back and leave a grateful comment here for a couple of weeks now, which really says it all about my own executive function. It was really good to see someone pointing out that not making resolutions is fine too, especially if they're going to do more harm than good, psychologically. Anyway, thank you for putting kind words out there--may they come back to you tenfold.

Jan 30, 2023 00:46 by Aster Blackwell

Ah I'm glad that I brought good feelings! And thank you so much <3

Jan 30, 2023 09:08

Thank you so much for including my Nyx Article I am humbled. May you achieve your goals and more. May your quill never run dry.


Graylion - Nexus   Roleplaying
not Ruleplaying
not Rollplaying
Jan 31, 2023 02:08 by Aster Blackwell

Thank you so much and you're welcome!