SummerCamp 2026 Pledge
I've been hibernating a little too long, not doing a whole lot of writing. The feral energy in the air is here to wake me right up.Nothing excites me quite like Summer Camp being on the horizon again! That means there's an explosion of energy headed this way for me AND for the community! And we're about to go a little feral. As a treat.
I haven't been giving myself much time to write lately. It's mostly due to a lack of energy during the week, and a continued commitment to try to avoid pushing myself too far, and burning myself out. Between real life obligations and a monstrous stack of personal creative goals, self care tends to mean a lot of things fall off. NOT SUMMER CAMP, THOUGH! I'M ALL THE WAY IN!
Hold on, my eighth Summer Camp?! Pause the calendar, would you?
No time to pause, actually — let's get into the preparations!
Week One: Love
Assignment 1
Take a moment to think about various manifestations of love in your world.
Malkora
Malkora isn't a particularly character-driven world like my other project quite yet, so I'm finding that I have to think of the subject of love on a much broader scale.The people of Malkora tend to be very faithful. They have love for their gods, they have a love for their way of life. We could touch on themes of patriotism, especially within the Kingdom of Arsavela, where the population grapples with the loss of their beloved queen as new powers aim to snuff that love out.
People are very much tied to the places they live in, sometimes in the literal sense, by metaphysical forces. The bonds people develop with place, time, and community can be troubled, fleeting, or everlasting, depending on how the wheel of fate turns for them. The people of this world can find love even in the darkest times, following in the example of the goddess Vosra, whose love for the world spared it from the endless void.
Ayun Sovos
Ayun Sovos is a world bursting at the seams with love in all of its forms. The world was hatched through the cooperation of the gods of Life and Love, making love a whole 50% of the world's foundation.The people of Ayun Sovos love crafting, they love adventuring, they love giving and sharing and building together. They fall in love with life in a new way every day!
The biggest themes in this world, when considering "love" as the root, would definitely be passions and callings, community building, and finding your favorite things. I love spring! Flowers and blooms and wondrous festivals of mirth and magic! Love rests in craft benches, toolboxes, adventuring packs, and dusty libraries. You'll find it in old ruins that hide secrets you can only delve into with a party of friends, and you'll find it around the campfire when it's time to take a break from all of that adventure.
While we're on the subject...
You know who I love with all my heart? My best friend Mochi! They've scooped me up into their worldbuilding corner once more to be their accountabilibuddy, and let me tell you, I went more than willingly!Mochi is my one-person hype squad and always makes me feel like I can handle anything, no matter what this silly life throws at me. My circle of Summer Camp buddies is growing, but Mochi laid their claim first, and I know we're going to make some amazing things happen during this Summer Camp!!
Assignment 2
Fill out the pledge document with your goal for Summer Camp!
Feral Camper Badge by Strixxline
Dewy Diamonds Badge by Strixxline
I return, unapologetically feral as always. I'm pledging to keep my diamond streak going strong, for what will be the fifth year in a row! I'm keeping my goals set high, but with plenty of room for self-care. No Iron Gorge for me, this year.
Assignment 3
Answer at least one hopscotch prompt in the Homework article.
Playing Hopscotch!
I may or may not have fudged my roll on this one and — oh! What's this? I have to do all four prompts down the line? Crazy!I know I have a lot of prep work to do, especially in tackling some of those pesky internal inconsistencies, information gaps, or outdated content that the homework mentions.
Hopscotch & Rambling Vol. I
I might not complete these tasks specifically as-written, but I will be touching on each of my chosen squares in some way over the course of prep month, and I plan to take a lot of these with me into actual Summer Camp!Update old articles from your world
I don't think I'll be actively updating any articles during prep month, but I'd love to put my worldbuilding focus for Summer Camp into crafting articles I can pick apart later to revamp or further develop existing works of mine! If the articles are OLD-old (read: super outdated), I might do some deleting and scrubbing and start them fresh with new ideas and lore. If my old articles aren't too bad, I might touch them up a little, then plan to merge them with my new Summer Camp articles after SC judging is over!I think my biggest priority will be keeping a running list of articles and themes adjacent to my Summer Camp creations, so it's easy to reference what content needs a touch-up most urgently! That way, I can keep the article updating going even beyond SC.
Create or update your world's meta document
My goal with filling out my world metas will be working to make sure the biggest themes and mentions within them have articles of their own to stand tall. I'm very happy with Ayun Sovos's meta, still, but I mention a few things in it that really ought to have articles of their own. Like the world's gods/cosmology, for one example. Rather selfishly, I almost want to save those big concepts for an event like WorldEmber where tons of focused development really feeds into progress. But... who says big concepts can't spawn a ton of small articles for summer worldbuilding?Malkora's meta could always use some work, I think. I'll be reviewing it and making edits when I can, and then... the plotting begins anew!
Review your maps and timelines
This one always plagues me — I'm never NOT yearning to make maps. I won a cartography award in the past, for heck's sake! I should be all about the mapmaking! But I think a lot of what's kept me out of this process has been a lot of decision fatigue and task paralysis. There's so much to consider!I have a silly MS Paint doodled map of Ayun Sovos I could sit down and refine when the moment strikes, and I think that might be one of my next priorities! I have big ideas for interactive maps I could work on in that world in particular. For Malkora, I really ought to take the consideration of Chronicles seriously... the transformation of lands and how that can affect timelines is huge in this world, and so much fun to think about!
Review and update your homepage and world primer
I won't be getting into the subject of primers at this time of year — Malkora's is still quite shiny to me, and Ayun Sovos... will simply have to wait. I did, however, break the procrastination streak and made the edits I needed to my global copyright footers at LONG last, so now they have the right year on them, updated WAWA rosettes, and some light cleaning to make it all come together.Some observations to come back to, when I have a moment: The Owlworks homepage is pretty lacking in substance, I would say. I set it up quickly, ages ago, and haven't touched it since. There's a lot I could do with it, so I'll put it on my long, long to-do list. For Malkora, I'd like to better highlight the primer and newsletter so they're harder to accidentally gloss over while scrolling, and I'd love to get some more substance into the Ayun Sovos homepage.
Week Two: Growth
Assignment 1
So what kinds of things are known for having grown recently in your world?
Malkora
Something sinister seems to be growing in power, in the lands of autumn. The creeping sands threatening to overtake the Kingdom of Arsavela are only advancing faster with each passing day, and unrest grows throughout the kingdom as its new leaders ignore and deny its people's concerns.As power grows and shifts throughout the world, we may find new populations surging as others decline, and new beliefs blooming as myth bends beneath circumstance. How exciting!
Ayun Sovos
If the Path to Adventure has taught us anything so far, it's that adventurers throughout the world of Ayun Sovos are learning and growing each day! Skills are developing, bravery is taking root, and hearts are swelling with joy and pride!Literal growth is all over, between the Festival of Blooms and the prevalent farming culture throughout Brightfield, and metaphorical growth happens out on adventures and in places where only the brave and bold would tread.
Assignment 2
Choose your area of focus!
Malkora
My area of focus for Malkora has been the same one for a long, long while, but I'll get to the meat of it soon, I swear. The Kingdom of Arsavela has been turned over and inside out so many times at this point. I think I might finally know what it's destined for, but we'll have to see which direction the writing takes us! Recent articles and developments in this region have me pretty fired up to write about it again! Especially the sea scamps, which have become my community's new favorite thing.They're my favorite thing, too, but don't tell them that. Heh.
Ayun Sovos
I'm hoping to flesh out more of Brightfield and the surrounding areas this Summer Camp! I've been slowly trickling in more and more ideas for these regions throughout the year, with connections and lore tidbits drawing the places together, but I want to fill out more of the little things. Let's fill a market street in Iverra! Line the shelves of a market stall! Name the town's blacksmith! I want to get into more of the details that make this cute, cozy place a living, breathing land!Assignment 3
Answer at least one hopscotch prompt in the Homework article.
Hopscotch & Rambling Vol. II
Plan the category structure for your area of focus
I don't think I'll be digging through my official categories too much but I can do little breakdowns of my focus areas and think about the directions I can go and how I organize them all in my head! Structuring the Kingdom of Arsavela
The Kingdom of Arsavela is broken into three, technically four, regions — Brineveil Forest, Savelan Northlands, Melocazh Barrens, and Aurel. Each of these regions has its own things going on, that all tie into the struggles spawning at their center: Aurel.
The Kingdom of Arsavela is broken into three, technically four, regions — Brineveil Forest, Savelan Northlands, Melocazh Barrens, and Aurel. Each of these regions has its own things going on, that all tie into the struggles spawning at their center: Aurel.
- Brineveil Forest: Themes of challenged faith, international connection, closing borders
- Savelan Northlands:Themes of survival, self-sufficient settlements, fleeting sanctuary
- Melocazh Barrens: Themes of displacement, erosion of society, governmental neglect
- Aurel: Themes of religious tyranny, mourning good leadership, rebellion through joy
Structuring Brightfield
Ayun Sovos doesn't have nearly as much high level development as Malkora does, so I need to start a little bit more broad with this. I don't have subregions figured out for Brightfield the way I do for the Kingdom of Arsavela, but I know some neighboring ones!
Ayun Sovos doesn't have nearly as much high level development as Malkora does, so I need to start a little bit more broad with this. I don't have subregions figured out for Brightfield the way I do for the Kingdom of Arsavela, but I know some neighboring ones!
- Brightfield: A land of rolling hills and lush farmland. The forests are light, canopies casting dancing sunlight across the woodland paths. It's warm, beautiful and safe.
- Iverra: The capital, Iverra, started as a small village and has since blossomed into a proper city in recent years!
- Lilipond Acres: A large swathe of land, under the gentle wing of Nana Liliwen and her army of grand-duckies.
- Nihiaki: A region of open prairies, grand forests, and stunning lakeside views. Great trees host a range of avian denizens, and aquatic friends love the clear waters.
How does your area of focus interact with the rest of the world?
Savelan Interactions
The Kingdom of Arsavela used to have a rather active and positive relationship with its neighbors, particularly Uris Braena. Pilgrims traveled the main roads of the kingdom to cross the border into this neighboring region for religious tradition, as well as for commerce and sometimes simply to travel. The Alabaster Hand's approach to rule has greatly eroded these relationships, even with this close neighbor; Uris Braena's command of the western mountain ranges means that an eroded relationship between the two nations has introduced a new hardship in travel for those who reside on either side.
Nimavi, to the south, has always coexisted fairly peacefully alongside the kingdom's borders, but the Hand has attempted to encroach upon their borders, and has loosened the legal ramifications of poaching on Nimavi land, which its residents do not take kindly to.
Aside from pestering its neighbors, the Kingdom's reach is limited otherwise. A once-vibrant global power now shelters itself drastically, interacting with others only for command and conquest.
The Kingdom of Arsavela used to have a rather active and positive relationship with its neighbors, particularly Uris Braena. Pilgrims traveled the main roads of the kingdom to cross the border into this neighboring region for religious tradition, as well as for commerce and sometimes simply to travel. The Alabaster Hand's approach to rule has greatly eroded these relationships, even with this close neighbor; Uris Braena's command of the western mountain ranges means that an eroded relationship between the two nations has introduced a new hardship in travel for those who reside on either side.
Nimavi, to the south, has always coexisted fairly peacefully alongside the kingdom's borders, but the Hand has attempted to encroach upon their borders, and has loosened the legal ramifications of poaching on Nimavi land, which its residents do not take kindly to.
Aside from pestering its neighbors, the Kingdom's reach is limited otherwise. A once-vibrant global power now shelters itself drastically, interacting with others only for command and conquest.
Brightfield Interactions
This land's greatest draw is its school for budding adventurers, Ringtale Elementary! It's this school that transformed Iverra from the tiny, cozy village it once was, into the busting city it's still expanding into. It's a cozy hub for adventurers just getting on their feet and learning the ropes in true, proper adventuring, with all of the tools and dungeons and excitement!
Brightfield itself is also a major source of food for a lot of neighboring regions. All of that farmland means there's a lot of output, and not even the growing populations across Iverra and other settlements can keep up! The farmers in this land feed a lot of mouths across the world, and it's made this location a very favorable place to visit and trade with.
Its neighbor, Nihiaki, is known for a spectacular lumber trade, its forests producing a wide range of highly-valued woods used for all manner of craft. Those exports fetch a pretty price, keeping cities like Shidena living very well off their own production.
This land's greatest draw is its school for budding adventurers, Ringtale Elementary! It's this school that transformed Iverra from the tiny, cozy village it once was, into the busting city it's still expanding into. It's a cozy hub for adventurers just getting on their feet and learning the ropes in true, proper adventuring, with all of the tools and dungeons and excitement!
Brightfield itself is also a major source of food for a lot of neighboring regions. All of that farmland means there's a lot of output, and not even the growing populations across Iverra and other settlements can keep up! The farmers in this land feed a lot of mouths across the world, and it's made this location a very favorable place to visit and trade with.
Its neighbor, Nihiaki, is known for a spectacular lumber trade, its forests producing a wide range of highly-valued woods used for all manner of craft. Those exports fetch a pretty price, keeping cities like Shidena living very well off their own production.
Make a list of concepts you'd like to explore.
Malkora's list:
- Malkoran Deities & Pantheons
- Savelan Cultural Practices
- Emerging Metaphysical Phenomena
Ayun Sovos's list:
- Professions & Equipment
- Local Dungeons & Challenges
- Adventuring School Coursework
Why did you choose this area of focus? Why is it fun to write?
Building the Kingdom of Autumn
I think coming back to this region is always quite satisfying. This kingdom, to me, is a true "RPG starting zone," where the meat of the world's action and tumultuous nature hasn't quite reached the population yet, and a new adventurer can catch their breath, get to know where they are, and do some preparation before they encounter the truth of what's out there and what they could find. That truth is knocking on the door of this kingdom now, all but laying itself at the doorstep, but the full effects have not yet been seen.
I keep choosing this location to work in because I'd really like to set this world's foundations in a place where the world's nature has permitted a population to survive unchanged long enough to even have a foundation that it built and continues to hold onto. From this jumping off point, I can dive into other topics as they become relevant to this geographical location, and of course bounce off into the distance at random to write in some snippets about other places in the world that catch my interest.
I think coming back to this region is always quite satisfying. This kingdom, to me, is a true "RPG starting zone," where the meat of the world's action and tumultuous nature hasn't quite reached the population yet, and a new adventurer can catch their breath, get to know where they are, and do some preparation before they encounter the truth of what's out there and what they could find. That truth is knocking on the door of this kingdom now, all but laying itself at the doorstep, but the full effects have not yet been seen.
I keep choosing this location to work in because I'd really like to set this world's foundations in a place where the world's nature has permitted a population to survive unchanged long enough to even have a foundation that it built and continues to hold onto. From this jumping off point, I can dive into other topics as they become relevant to this geographical location, and of course bounce off into the distance at random to write in some snippets about other places in the world that catch my interest.
Stopping to Smell the Flowers
I've got a similar approach going with Ayun Sovos and making Brightfield into an RPG starting zone of its own. The land is cozy and inviting, it's a grand hub for brand new adventurers, and it's the perfect place to really step into the shoes you want to fill before you tackle the rest of the world around you! It's the current setting of the world's current active plotline, The Path to Adventure, so I'd really like to build it up alongside the story as it progresses, so both the story and the worldbuilding can feed off of one another and develop in tandem.
Brightfield is simply a lovely place I'd be very happy to spend some real life time in. There's a cozy farmhouse on every plot of land that would be so happy to have you over for some pumpkin pie, and there's always a nice, sunny spot to take a little nap in, and not a lick of true danger in sight.
I've got a similar approach going with Ayun Sovos and making Brightfield into an RPG starting zone of its own. The land is cozy and inviting, it's a grand hub for brand new adventurers, and it's the perfect place to really step into the shoes you want to fill before you tackle the rest of the world around you! It's the current setting of the world's current active plotline, The Path to Adventure, so I'd really like to build it up alongside the story as it progresses, so both the story and the worldbuilding can feed off of one another and develop in tandem.
Brightfield is simply a lovely place I'd be very happy to spend some real life time in. There's a cozy farmhouse on every plot of land that would be so happy to have you over for some pumpkin pie, and there's always a nice, sunny spot to take a little nap in, and not a lick of true danger in sight.
Week Three: Loss
Assignment 1
Spend some time thinking about this theme and how it applies to your area of focus.
Malkora
I would say that loss is a spectacular theme for Malkora, regardless of which area I choose to focus on. For some parts of the world, loss can be catastrophic in ways my chosen area of focus could never fathom. That fact may play a part in how and why certain aspects of the Kingdom are falling apart, and why the lives of the people grow more treacherous by the day.The Kingdom itself is still pulling itself together in the aftermath of the loss of its queen and her family, a loss that brought with it the dismantling of many traditions, initiatives, and generational ties that leave the people of this kingdom feeling, in many ways, lost themselves.
Ayun Sovos
Something every adventurer will learn early into their explorations is that not every adventure results in the outcome they're looking for. You don't always claim the victory you seek, you don't always find the relic you were out to claim — sometimes, you just lose. The same goes for artisan crafts and competitions. In a sea of incredible work, there's usually only one that can claim victory.In Brightfield, where the Festival of Blooms brings with it a plethora of competitions and challenges, that sea of beauty is likewise a sea of losses for all but one skilled entrant. The lesson to be taken there is that loss isn't the end, or a catastrophic halt to one's progress; loss may just be the first step to finding your shining moment!
Assignment 2
Think about how much time you'll need to complete your Summer Camp goal.
I'll need to be pretty careful with my time during the month of July if I want to achieve my goals and come out of this month unscathed. Last year, I went pretty crazy with streaming, earning myself that Iron Gorge badge, and I've made the healthy decision that I won't be doing the same this year.
Streaming that much Summer Camp did have its benefits, however, in that I had SO much time on the calendar blocked off just for writing those prompts!
I'll still be streaming my progress throughout Summer Camp, trying the following schedule where I can:
- Fridays: Work week decomp! Games and chatter, no writes.
- Saturdays: Prompt chomp! Unpacking prompts together!
- Sunday: Sprints! Big progress sessions!
Assignment 3
Answer at least one hopscotch prompt in the Homework article.
Hopscotch & Rambling Vol. III
Whew, we've done so much thinking about ideas and concepts! Time for pondering inspirations and workflows...Read a book to inspire you
My TBR list is really stacking up! I have two books I'm still in the process of reading through, and I may just it my quest to finish those reads! I'd also like to start a few of the books on my shelf, but we only have time for so much during this last stretch of prep.Read an article (or more) from other Anvilites
Boy have I been reading! Even just from the last few site challenges, I've been seeing some amazing work coming from friends in the community, and it's kept me hungry for writing, myself. It's been such a delight reading through other folks' SC prep articles, too!Spend some time in your favorite fictional world
I've been indulging in quite a few of my favorite games recently, each with its own set of inspirations for my worldbuilding settings. Diablo IV became a recent favorite of mine, and it's fueled quite a few thoughts and considerations for Malkora... more on that later, I think. Neopets has once again become a daily fixture in my life, and that's got ideas SOARING for Ayun Sovos! It's a big contrast, I know.What's your typical creative process and routine?
Just send it. Okay, but really — I don't have too much of a process aside from seizing the opportunity to smash some words together when free time appears and nothing rises up to take it from me. I sit down, sort through a bunch of things, then get into the meat of writing down my ideas. Sometimes, something really cool comes out of that, and other times, new creations are added to the vault.Week Four: Family
Assignment 1
What do families look like in your area of focus, and which other meanings of "family" can you find in your world?
Malkora
This area of focus carries a lot of literal family significance, in the deposition of royal family and the turning of rule that followed. Likewise, the homework mentions pantheons as an example of less conventional family, which is another subject I'd really like to expand and develop in this world.I'd love to explore more of the family legacy of the Arsaces line and what exactly made them into the beloved rulers that they were. What were their crowning achievements, and was there darkness lurking beyond sight that no one knew of? What was their connection to the gods of this land? Was it something special?
Ayun Sovos
This setting is built on themes of adventure, and I really don't think any genre does "found family" quite as well as RPG adventures. Ebi is headed out on her own for the very first time. She's missing her family back home for sure, but she's bound to find a new one out on her adventures that can keep her safe and appreciated until the day she can go back home, stronger and wiser.I like to imagine that a lot of the adventurer's leagues in this world see themselves as a form of family as well. These groups serve to bring folks from all walks of life together under one common goal, supporting and nurturing one another as they work to achieve it.
Assignment 2
What's your goal as a worldbuilder?
As a worldbuilder, I don't have much of a concrete goal for what I'm doing here. There's no game, no novel. Maybe some short stories and serial fiction popping up here and there, but those stories exist to support the worldbuilding, and not too much the other way around.
I really think my goal may just be to have a creative outlet and to have fun! I might push myself to consider developing some goals beyond that in the near future. Maybe I do want to craft a solo RPG? That's something that's had my interest for a while. Maybe even a visual novel? A graphic novel? I think the Path to Adventure would be fabulous in a visual format.
We'll say my goal as a worldbuilder is to craft worlds that give me a space to explore our own real world while giving me a place to retreat into my creativity and keep the flame of passion alive in spite of the world's chaos. It is pretty tough out here.
Assignment 3
Answer at least one hopscotch prompt in the Homework article.
Hopscotch & Rambling Vol. IV
It feels pretty wild to be wrapping up my planning soon! My goodness.Prepare your writing space!
I was working on this earlier today! My desk is rather in disarray, but we'll get the space night and cleaned up here soon. Gotta toss some papers out, put pens away, find a more suitable location for my miscellaneous trinkets... the list really does go on.My digital space could use some refreshers as well. I've noticed my file folders are a little disorganized as far as where I'm saving my worldbuilding content on my computer. Some consolidation and reorganization would go a long way.
Take a break and re-energize before Summer Camp begins!
It's a good thing I'm wrapping up my prep on the day the final homework assignments came out, because that does give me a whole week to tie up loose ends and just chill out for a while!That said, since I do have a lot of things I'd like to get done before SC proper, I might need to try a little extra hard to secure some relaxation time in between the bits and pieces of work I'll be trying to get done.
Find a community AND find an accountability buddy!
I ended up doing both of these already, oops! No choosing for me on this one. Finding a community is pretty dang easy when we have the entire World Anvil Discord community shouting and cheering in the Summer Camp channel! Plus, I have my creative community in the Owlworks Discord server, and I've got lots of wonderful friends I can share my creations with!This was already mentioned in week one's section, but my amazing friend Mochi has scooped me up for accountability this year, and the two of us have also joined a Summer Camp accountability squad with the incredible Barron and Ademal! This is going to be a Summer Camp to remember, I can just feel it in my bones.
Which articles do you need to achieve your creative goal?
I definitely need to start putting together some articles for Malkora's deities, maybe going into characters for the Arsaces family, and of course, sea scamps.The latter are highly requested, borderline demanded, by the community, and I shan't let them down.
Ayun Sovos has a deep need for some more structure, I think. More organizations, locations, and some fun treats like shops, items, characters, and more. I want this focus area of the world to fully come to life, leading into the regions nearby as we go along.
The Summer Camp Foursome
Fabled Legend Mochimanoban
Mochi
AAAHH Camp Feral let's goooo! Best of luck with your SC goal; 4 years in a row of diamonds is amazing! Love the hopsotch section <3
> Root Directory is my hub world <
Legends of the Dragonguard • /dev/null
Summer Camp 2026
It's crazy, isn't it?? Let's see if we can make it five :D Thank you friend!!
Craft a bright new world, in Ayun Sovos!