2022 is behind us now, 2023 ahead...

I have a confession to make. I've been kind of neglecting my duties as a Monitor. Technically, I'm supposed to survey this thing called the Internet to keep a close watch on weather sites and data logs, and wipe clean any mention of something off in the sky. Those satellites are so tricky. But ever since I've noticed a few individuals clearly from other magical societies hidden among the ground dwellers, I've become curious about other worlds.
So I've hopped onto this...website. Fascinating, what people's imaginations can come up with. They've made me wonder about my own homeclouds - how much do I really know of them? How much do others know of them? And, perhaps, should I leak a bit of our identity into the ground dweller world, as other extraordinary societies have done in an effort to leave a fantastical remnant of themselves, emblazoned in the folds of time ?
No. I dare not. It is against our laws. But, perhaps I will create something for myself. I need not share it with others. Yes, I think that will be an interesting idea. Though I'll have to draw from other worlds to inspire me.

- Anonymous Monitor

1. Sun Hidden

By Catoblepon
A curse of the most unlucky, deprived as they are of the warmth and beauty of the sun. I cannot imagine how I would survive if I somehow managed to have an affliction like this. I don't return to the clouds often (the only downside of a Monitor's life), but when I do, I love to soak up the sun. It's so big, so bright, so beautiful - so full of energy. Apparently, ground dwellers can't look at it directly, which is a shame.
This makes me curious to dive into the afflictions of the sky. I'm no doctor, but as far as I can tell, diseases and ailments up in the clouds are rare - most of us are extremely healthy, aside from the occasional lightningstruck. However, I do wonder if some of us may be born with interesting conditions - like allergies on the ground. Nothing that effects our health too drastically, but also changes our lives in interesting ways.

2. The Logbooks

By Kros!
The simple yet engaging documents of a man onboard a ship. I've always wondered what it would be like to be at sea, but I've never worked up the courage to get on a boat. Unpredictable waves? Storms? No, thank you. I can't imagine it would be too different from flying, but it still seems so terrifying. Being stuck on a ship? Having to tie knots? Plus, with the danger of pirates and naval battles? Yet the logbooks of this man (along with his careful watch of the crew) leave me wondering...how bad can it be?
There's something so intriguing to me about the catalogs of voyagers and travelers. The wonders that they find, the terrain they traverse, and the people they associate with are all so curious - especially if they're travelling to far-off places. I was never cut out for Charter work, but now I am interested in digging up a few of their notebooks. And if I dig far enough, perhaps I can go past the Charters, back to the days of the old Kingdoms and to the logbooks of sky-travelling merchants!

Alongside these amazing articles of 2022 and all the ways they've inspired me to write more about my own world, I have two main worldbuilding goals for the upcoming year.

Goal #1: Get published!

I'm currently working on going through the second draft of my novel, set in the world of the Skydwellers. There's a lot of things I want to go back and add, fix, or cut out. I actually owe a lot of the new ideas I have for the book to Worldanvil, and the awesome worldbuilding I've been able to sort out and do.
I don't think I'll try for publishing the manuscript on Worldanvil yet - we'll see if we can go traditional publishing with this one. I'm not really quite sure what I'm gonna do, or how this is gonna go, especially since I still have some revising and editing to do. But it's a big goal for this year - one I've been working toward for years, thanks to procrastination. I'm excited!

---

Goal #2: Wordy Events

As I have said, the quill is the grandest channel of magic.

I'm not making any huge goals for my word count this year - I'll be mainly focused with Goal #1. However, I want to participate in at least four Worldanvil events. I'll probably do more, but I do want to set a floor goal for the challenges that I'll do.

• WorldEmber (of course)
• Summercamp (naturally)
• #NaNoWriMo (not an official challenge, but still a worthy goal)
• Something else - not counting the resolutions challenge, or forge the future of Worldanvil challenge, both of which I've already completed.

In total, I'm hoping to write roughly 50,000 words, bringing my word count for this world up to around 100k (yay, milestones!). It shouldn't be too hard, but I may be busy, so we'll see how it goes.
Anyway, since this goal has apparently sprouted into multiple little subgoals, I'd also like to add that learning some more CSS would be pretty cool - formatting my articles in a neat and appealing way. I might also want to cut down on my long-winded explanations, and focus on jotting down some simple information.
I've noticed that, interestingly enough, one of my shortest articles is also one of my most liked - and it doesn't even have any pictures! So if there's any of you out there reading this and struggling with your CSS or art or whatever, take heart! It's the content of your article that really matters! I'll try and keep that in mind as I go through 2023.

3. Royal Sky Riders

By Jester%
Ah, another organization that roams the sky! Reminds me of home - and a little of the Intercity Guard. Though I would have liked to learn more about the griffons. How are they cared for? What is their relationship with their riders? Are they sentient? Are they being treated as fellow beings rather than animals? Oh, I'm ranting again. It's a bit of a habit - especially surrounded by uncultured ground dwellers who keep insisting that dragons are wild creatures rather than the intelligent, cultured, reasonable, and friendly beings that they are. Oh, well, then. Back to the griffons.
Hmm. Not really much to take inspiration from here. Wait. No. What am I thinking? I already know about the Intercity Guard, of course, but there were other militias, before! Back during the age of the Kingdoms! Yes, it would be fascinating to learn about those? How were the soldiers treated, and how did they treat their fellow sky dwellers? What were the military goals and tactics like? How did the wars affect the militias? Ooh, this is fascinating. Though I may have quite the task ahead of me, if I wish to dig up documents that old.

4. Archivist's Cape

By Revyera
Magical (do I say magical?) cloaks that grant otherworldly powers...and cue the shivers. Such a chilly, desolate world. Despite the fascinating nature of the cloak, it feels...wrong. I can't describe it - and I know that to many of the people living in that world, it must be perfectly ordinary, but I just can't shake the feeling of chilly unease...
This makes me curious to explore the various garments and magical items of the sky. I know we must have had them in the past, but so many of them have been lost to time. Would we have also had some type of magical clothing? Capes aside, I was really struck by the design of this article. The color scheme, the formatting, the imagery...lots of detailed words, but formatted in an engaging way. I'll take lots of inspiration from that.

5. Clearmeadows

By Hanhula
Portals...I've heard whispers of portals. Rumors of archways in the Fallwater mountain range - specifically on Smoke Mountain. This seems entirely different. A series of serene meadows, shattered by one fateful incident. Perhaps Charters would be intrigued by this. I, on the other hand, find myself shivering at the horrors that must lie behind the portals.
However, this does make me curious about the means of magical transport that might be hidden in the corners of our world. What other lands may lay beyond...well, beyond? Not that I'd want to explore them. Just document them. And this article, as well, was beautifully formatted. I should really look into this - images, and columns, and the likes. What can I say? I'm a sucker for dazzling, colorful sights. Side effect of growing up alongside the dragons.

6. The Ferrymen

By The Humbug
Ooh...chills. More merchants, sailing on the sea - with a dark past. Makes me shiver, but I do love reading intriguing stories such as these. So fascinatingly eerie! All I can say is, well done to the author of this article! As I stated before, I do love beautifully arrayed articles, but this page does not need fancy CSS or AI generated images to create a work of art - the words flowed so smoothly! In fact, I'd say that it only adds to the atmosphere of the article. Such a talented author!
I know that much Skydweller myths and magic have been lost to time, but this makes me even more curious about them. Did anyone find themselves the victim of a curse? What dark magic might they have sought out to cure themselves? Were there any magical-ish figures, such as these Ferrymen, that old skydwellers knew of? I simply must research this further.

7. Crystal Infusion

By Tim de Roos
Hmm...such an advanced people, to store their energy in crystals. I wonder where they get the gemstones? The only gemstones I've ever seen are the ones on playing cards, and they're nowhere near as magical as these crystals. A fascinating article, to be sure.
Long have I wondered about the technological capacities of the skydwellers. A mix of magic and nature, I know we've managed to unlock a few key technologies. Perhaps, when I return to the sky, I will be able to research more to help make the discovery of old (and new) technologies possible.

8. Legend of the Stone Dragon

By George Sanders
Well, I can't say that I enjoy hearing about the deaths of dragons. Why is it that so many humans think of dragons as greedy, soulless monsters? Well, each world must differ - the wyrms are proof enough of that. Still, if anyone tries to talk to me about how dragons are vicious beasts, I will personally clonk them over the head. Nice article, though.
This actually does make me wonder about the history of the sky. Obviously, there were battles. Some humans probably died at the hand of dragons, and vice versa. Have any monuments been made to our battleworn heroes? Crafted from wood, perhaps, rather than sprouted from the cloud - or maybe even carved of stone?

9. Lootbox Eve

By Daniadventures
I must confess, I read this article with a bit of a smile on my face. I know, I know - chaos and people getting hurt and thefts and all that stuff. But it's much more harmless than I originally thought. Plus, half of it is completely virtual? What wonderful technology that world must have! I may be uniquely geared to appreciate it, considering I may be one of the only Skydwellers who has an updated understanding of a computer, but I will appreciate it nonetheless.
It's hard not to miss home when I read about this festive time, though. I can say (totally bias free, I assure you) that we Skydwellers have some of the greatest celebrations ever. Period. Although I already know everything about them, I am excited to record more of our cultures, celebrations, and customs.

10. Keystone

By Nnie
Wow. A universe with planets, and representatives of those planets, with unfathomable powers. It...it blows my mind. It almost makes me a little sad - my beautiful sky, just seven small Cities. That sadness, however, is overcome by awe at the vastness of this world, and the importance of this title. So eye-opening!
Thinking of all the drama surrounding this title almost makes me fear for the royal family. Yes, they are bound by oaths of honor - but I have to assume that these Keystones are, as well. Come to think of it, I've heard tales of the old Kingdoms, and the flaws of their leaders. I must look into it - for only by discovering our history can we prevent the terrible plagues and wars that led to the skyshattering.