by James Debro

Hello everyone,

This art piece was something I drew while I was tutoring at a local community college. I had some free time and I was thinking about my original world the characters. I decided to draw two of my original characters in this "widescreen" style to see how it would turn out, and get a feel for how drawing in a widescreen matter would be like. I might update this one in the future. Maybe. Enjoy!

Rights info:

https://www.safecreative.org/work/1803126099083-habiru-beasts-widescreen-

#original #originalart #originalcharacters #fantasy #beast #world #anvilspace

Accuracy is the Gravity of My World
R&Q Issue #4 & Legend of the Silver Blade : Chapter 7 are Live!

Greetings, Twilight Seekers!

This week in the Scriptorium was a battle of the "Gears." I conducted a climatological audit of the Five Seas that nearly broke my naval routes, but the resulting "dissonance" led to something better: the discovery of the Orfian cliff-dwellers and a finalized, "Gregorian-offset" calendar system.

Inside this update:

• Raven & Quill #4: "Recalibrating the Horizon " – A deep dive into reverse-engineering deserts, glacial canyons, and the Aeolian rigging that lets the Sea Wolf defy the Frostfang Current.
• Chapter 7: "The Truth Beneath the Rose " – Witness that geography in action. Join Talathis Dawntreader as he strips the mutes and forces the ship to plane against the Lithrys tide.

What do you do when the physics of your world fights your history? You build a better lie.

Shine Bright! — VS

#SagaOfTheSilverBlade #Worldbuilding #HardFantasy #Cartography #WorldAnvil #Lore #NavalFantasy #RavenAndQuill #DarkFantasy

New Art Post Tomorrow, Waiting on WorldEmber Judging, and More Snow!

Hello everyone,

Sometime tomorrow I'll post more #artwork that I drew for all WA to see, which I'm all too happy to do. I'll review the original art I'll be posting sometime tonight.

I'm also dealing with the final preparations before it snows here again in NC due to the second upcoming Winter Storm. All this snow and ice coming here yet its not even Feburary yet. If I get anymore snow in NC again, I'm gonna start looking for a throne (wink, wink).

As for recent articles I created for my world of Arktoria, I'm waiting on the #WorldEmber judging process to finish before I touch them again. Although I badly, BADLY, want to give them further edits! Why must I wait so long????

Anyway, have a good one!

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Hello everyone,

I'm sure that you noticed a lack of updates from me here (apart from me being semi-active on the WA discord) recently after the conclusion of #WorldEmber2025 There are a few reasons for this.

The first reason being that I've simply been in recovery after #WorldEmber. I have been using most of January to restore my creative juices after being in literal overdrive last month, reaching above 10,000 words. Plus the editing and final checks for every entry before #WorldEmber concluded demanded much of my attention. At this point, I'm starting to get back into the normal flow of my creativity so I'll likely start posting more often soon.

The second reason is more recent as my home state of North Carolina was one of the states hit by a major winter storm named Winter Storm Fern. The last two days have seen parts of NC getting varying amounts of snow and ice. I kinda had to prepare for that. Ironically, this also turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I needed a nice background for my entry into the Beautiful People contest. As of this post, there is still much snow and ice at my home but it is melting (albeit slower than expected).

The third reason is connected to the first one: I wanted to avoid burning myself out so I backed up from creating anything for a time. As many of you know, burnout can really hinder the creative process and I made it a point of stopping so I wouldn't be running on fumes creatively. New ideas are forming in my mind again so I feel that I have managed to avoid major burnout.

Those are the main reasons for me not posting anything major here. I also have not forgotten about posting more of my artwork here. That will be occurring again soon.

Have a good day everyone!

Natural Law-Shortlist

Hello again, you magnificent people!

As promised, I’m here to share my shortlist for the Natural Law template I sponsored this World Ember!

I had an amazing time reading through all the 70 entries! The creativity, care, and effort poured into these articles were truly inspiring. Narrowing the list down was not easy, and whether or not your piece made it onto my shortlist, I deeply appreciate your work. And even more importantly, your world is now richer for having a new story, and that alone is a win.

Congratulations to all of you!

#WorldEmber #sponsor #SharetheLove #anvilspace

The Orchestra is Tuned!

Raven & Quill Vol 2: Issue #3 is live!

I’m pulling back the curtain on my new "digital council" workflow—how I keep my lore straight without losing the soul of the story.

Also in this issue:

• Chapter 6 is LIVE: Krysaalis trades her gilded cage for the unknown.
• Cartography Update: I couldn't help myself. The Vesprian Heartland satellite map is finally finished and fully labeled.

Read Tuning the Orchestra and Chapter 6 now!

#WorldAnvil #Worldbuilding #FantasyMaps #WritingProcess #SagaOfTheSilverBlade

Welcome to Week 7 of the Saga!

Raven & Quill Issue #7: The Inkwell is live alongside Chapter 5: A Key of Scars. We return to Qianna to peel back the layers of her past.

But the real story this week is about the deep rabbit hole of cartography.

I confess: the map nerd in me took over. I realized the current satellite imagery for Vespria wasn't enough to satisfy the vision. So, instead of just writing, I spent the week rebuilding the Vesprian realms from the ground up in Photoshop to prepare for a massive InDesign overhaul.

Inside Issue #7:

• The Art of the "Sat-Map": A look at the work-in-progress standard for the new maps.
• A Jewel Thief in the Night: A warning that the current maps on the site are living on borrowed time. Soon, they will be swapped out silently, with precision.
• The Inkwell: Learning to sit with the discomfort of "done" while drafting ahead into Chapters 7–9.

The new maps aren't live yet, but you can see the trajectory in the newsletter. Be warned: truth is a shifting horizon.

Read the full Dispatch and Chapter 5 below!

Raven & Quill #07: The Inkwell

Chapter 5: A Key of Scars

Keep your soul-song in tune.

— VS

#Worldbuilding #Cartography #Fantasy #AmWriting #MapMaking #SagaOfTheSilverBlade #IndieAuthor

Started posting a new series about an augmented Commonwealth scout left on a toxic moon after a battle against the CIH.

https://www.worldanvil.com/community/manuscripts/read/0864811557-wordsmithsteve-surviving-iy98k-with-seven-minutes-of-oxygen2C-an-augmented-soldier-s-story

#WorldEmber #SharetheLove #anvilspace #novel #ScienceFiction #cyberpunk #SpaceOpera #serialfiction #militarysciencefiction #modernsciencefiction

Added my NYR article! Mooncreepers

Inspired by lots of people being clever with multiple POVs: New Year's Resolutions 2026

I love this community! #hugs #WorldEmber #NYR2026

Happy New Year from the Saga!

We are kicking off 2026 with a fresh start: Raven & Quill, Volume 2, Issue #1 is live alongside Chapter 4: The Rising Tide .

While the plot moves forward at the Rosethorn Estate, the real work this week happened "under the hood" of the world bible. This issue focuses on tuning the engine of the universe to ensure the Saga sings in the right key.

Inside this week's issue:

• Refining the Resonance: I have standardized the "physics" of the Grand Composition. How does a Sentinel perceive the Song versus a Street Urchin? (And to settle the debate: No, Talathis is not a Cantor).
• Canonizing Vespria: A deep dive into the history of the Jewel of the West to ensure the casual historical mentions in the prose carry the weight of truth.
• Shandaryn Aging: Clarifying the mechanics of "Ascension" to explain the dynamic between the Torryaenen Twins.
• The Family Tree: A status update on the massive project to map the noble houses using InDesign.

I have also "retro-fitted" Chapters 1–3 to match these newly solidified laws of magic and tone. If you are new to the Saga, there has never been a better time to jump in!

Next Week: We leave the politics of Rosethorn and return to the coast of Alfirhavn.

Read the full Issue and Chapter 4 below!

Raven & Quill (vol. 2) #1

Refining the Resonance Link to Chapter 4: The Rising Tide

Shine Bright!

— VS

#WorldAnvil #Fantasy #MagicSystems #Worldbuilding #WritingCommunity #SagaOfTheSilverBlade #Lore #IndieAuthor

The Wailing Cracker is a horrible weapon carried by the Silent Men of corporate security, black operatives, illicit mercenaries, and (very rarely) street gangs.

#WorldEmber2025 #SharetheLove #worldember #anvilspace #sciencefiction #cyberpunk #modernsciencefiction #militarysciencefiction

Moved all my World Ember articles to the top for easy access. Show me yours, I need some inspiration to pick from! #worldember #NYR #readingchallenge

Just posted a wrap of my Worldember 2025. Managed to get to 25K for the first time, so pretty happy with that. If you're looking for something to read in Jan, i hope you find some inspiration in here.

And, please, send me links to your favourites in the comments so I can do a bit of reading too :-)

Happy 2026 everyone!

#WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

WorldEmber Recap

Ah, WorldEmber is over. I hope yours went well! I wrote less than last year; however, I think the quality of the articles improved, so that's nice!

I added SIX new dragonkin types (one of them has 20 species!), two new locations, a glowing mushroom, an insect that eats said glowing mushroom, a cool sword inspired by a real sword I have, and one new character based on a friend this WorldEmber. :)

I work this weekend, so I'll probably have my New Year's Resolutions article up in a few days.

Need something to read? I put all my WorldEmber articles and weekly recaps on one page!

#WorldEmber #NYR

Explore one of the Three Beast Nations of the continent of Tushora: The Scalia Union!

#beast #nation #country #tribe #fantasy #WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

I 've done it people! Ten thousand five hundred words in six days. Always write your numbers in full text :D

A lot of new stories have found their way into Dolvareth, some of them waiting patiently for months to be written at last.

I hope you enjoy all of them

Here's a list:

The Epitaph of an Insignificant (prose)

Red Fever (condition)

Vielovarie Sielanthi (military formation)

Old Dorianic (language)

Fiorlond (settlement)

Nexus of Magic (law)

Malljule the bard (character)

The Tale of The Lost City (myth)

#WorldEmber
#WorldEmber2025

Learn about another of the nations of Tushora: The Creuland Kingdom.

#fantasy #highfantasy #WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

In the last week or so of Worldember, I've managed to reach my 25K stretch goal, helped mainly by my chonky 7K word plot article - a new adventure in my Talon's Rising campaign that centres on the intrigue around Camp Thrifty. Also included a few smaller articles fleshing out some of the details.

Check out my progress and other articles at https://www.worldanvil.com/community/challenge/worldember-2025/homepage/Ononomad

#WorldEmber #worldember2025

Dragonguard Progress Report (DPR-17)

> Issue 17 - AAAHHH 2026

Follow the Root Directory hub for my worlds, updates, challenges, and more!

AAAHHH it’s 2026 now! I’m not ready! I hope your WorldEmber went well, mine did. The other WA events didn’t go too well for me this past year, but this WorldEmber went much better. I didn’t get through as many articles as I would have liked, BUT most of the articles I wrote were over 1k words, so the quality of them has improved :) I think my backlog list of articles to create actually INCREASED this past month instead of getting smaller, haha! I have too many ideas.

I have another world, but didn’t manage to get around to adding anything to it; I had too many ideas for the dragonguard world. I added 4 new dragonkin species! I didn’t get to 100 world followers by the end of the year, but I am less than 10 away, so that’s still pretty cool!

You can check out my WorldEmber 2025 page to see a list of articles I wrote. The New Year’s Resolutions and Reading Challenge will come soon when WorldEmber ends in a few days. In the meantime, you can also read last year’s resolutions.

Community Highlights

Highlights Archive

Exapataosaurus by Callyxtus
Dragons by Hatwolf
Elignatidae Family by Mochi
Mochi's Mocha by Herr_Wilhelm101
Qwash Al'Rihma - The sunscale snake by Tyrdal

< Updated >
Draconian Concord
Blackreach
Dragonkin 

< New Additions >
Scorch
Emberscale Wyvern
Brightgill
Ebonhollow Expanse
Hawkwing
Eldryan Sword
Fireblood Drake
Mushroomhoppers
Shortail Drake

View the Progress Reports Archive to read past DPR posts!

#dpr #worldember

NATIONS OF TUSHORA: EYFRA COMMONWEALTH

Hello everyone!
Here is another nation that is found within the lands of Tushora: The Eyfra Commonwealth. Read more about this Republic nation:

#WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

THE NATIONS OF TUSHORA

Hello everyone,

As #WorldEmber2025 reaches the final countdown, I've decided to share more of the other half of my world. This time the nations of Tushora. Starring with the Creshona Union.

CRESHONA UNION:

The holidays may be over soon, but what if a fungal anomaly didn't want it to? Here's another anomaly file for #WorldEmber!

Hello beautiful people.
I missed you all, and I missed writing.

So I decided to take part in #WorldEmber2025, right at the last possible moment.

Since I had quite a distance to cover, I ended up writing a rather large piece.

A small warning though: it leans toward the heavier end of the emotional spectrum, so keep that in mind if you are aiming for a cheerful holiday mood.

Check it out here.

Hope you enjoy it! It's my new favorite.

Cheers!

The Unseen Cords | Raven & Quill #5

December vanished like a ship slipping into the Vapor Shroud. One moment it was Thanksgiving, and we were launching the site; now, the holidays are half-gone. But looking back at the wake we’ve left behind—the launch of the Saga, the introduction of Krysaalis and Talathis, and now the complex web of Qianna Lockstone —it has been a monumental month.

In this week's issue:

Feature Focus: The Girl Who Sees Strings We step into the mind of Qianna, a character whose "magic" is less about spells and more about survival. She sees the world as a tangle of cords and wires—dissociating from reality to see the connections between people. Her chapter sits like Atlas in the background, quietly holding up the heavy lift of the Saga's lore.

The Architect’s Journal: Echoes of an Old Game Qianna is the first POV character directly inspired by a PC from the TTRPG campaigns that birthed this world. This issue is dedicated to the player who originally breathed life into her.

Read the full issue and Chapter 3 below!

Read Raven & Quill #5

Read Legend of the Silver Blade

Chapter 3: The Winter Inside

Keep shining.

— VS

#WorldAnvil #WorldEmber #Worldbuilding #DarkFantasy #WritingCommunity

#SagaOfTheSilverBlade #RavenAndQuill

Articles on the Beast races of Arktoria

Hello everyone!

Today I've decided to share a few of the articles I have either created or re-done for #WorldEmeber2025. These articles cover the basics of the featured Beast races of my world. I will add to some of these in the future, but for now enjoy the reading!

Pantara:

Ursidia:

Saurid:

Zarca, one of the Saurid branches:

This event is by far my favorite. While my pledge was for 25k, I managed to reach the top of the 50k mountain - and then some! There’s still a little time left before the event ends as I’m writing this, and my goal is to have one entry for every template. I have seven left and seven days to go. What do you think? Can I do it?

We’ll see…

I’m a little sad we didn’t get more leaderboard updates this year. I don’t know the reason behind it, but for me it made the event lose some momentum. The leaderboard isn’t about the stats; it’s about the community. It sparks conversations, makes it easier to discover articles, creators, and worlds (and let’s be honest, discovery on the site is not its strongest feature). I hope this was just temporary and that next year we’ll return to the hype that the frequent updates used to bring.

Anyway, below is the full list of my work for WorldEmber! I hope you’ll find something you enjoy if you’re looking for reading material. And with the Reading Challenge coming up, feel free to drop some of your own work in the comments, I’m definitely looking for things to read. <3

#Worldember #Progress #50k

10,000+ Words Completed

Hello everyone.

Earlier this week, I achieve over 10,000+ words for #WorldEmber. Now, I'm considering adding to that to try for the additional badges. I might go for a few more prompts as well (I already did some of the WorldEmber prompts earlier this month).

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/augmented-valor-wordsmithsteve/a/mfns-nyasaland-sar-51-vehicle

Updated the Mars Federation Naval Ship Nyasaland's article and hotlinked to Eve's story in Cryostasis Widow Five Centuries Gone.

Chapter 7 of Shadows of Eros drops December 28, 2025.

Merry Christmas.

#WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025 #SharetheLove #AnvilSpace #cyberpunk #cyberpunknoir #sciencefiction #scifi #augmentedvalor #Mars #MerryChristmas

The Archives Open to the Sea | Raven & Quill #4

The static silence of the Omnium is behind us. This week, we hit the open ocean.

Chapter 2: In the Wolf's Shadow is LIVE.

In this chapter, we step aboard the HMS Sea Wolf with Talathis Dawntreader. He is a pilot who steers not by the compass, but by the "Howl"—the acoustic song of the ship's rigging when it hits harmonic resonance.

New Lore: The "Race-Built" Frigate Alongside the chapter, I’ve released a deep-dive article on the Sea Wolf itself. I tackled a specific worldbuilding challenge: How do you have advanced naval combat in a fantasy world without making gunpowder ubiquitous? The answer involved "Aeolian Rigging," Klash-kal alchemy, and a hull built to deceive.

Come check out the specs and let me know what you think of "Flintlock Fantasy" without the flintlocks!

Read Raven & Quill #4

Read Chapter 2

Learn about Talathis Dawntreader

Inspect the Sea Wolf

“She looks like a wolf sitting among swans.”

The Sea Wolf on patrol somewhere in the Eleysian Islands. by Val Saraven

#WorldEmber2025 #DarkFantasy #Navy #Sailing #Ships

Just posted chapter #9 of Adi's story.

#WorldEmber #WorldEmber 2025 #anvilspace #cyberpunk #science fiction #space opera

This monster hunter is a playable character for our upcoming dungeon, and he has cool art by Hiive! #WorldEmber

I have finally finished my first Worldember article! There are some other articles related to this character that are still in the making, so hopefully I'll have more time during the rest of this (currently very busy) month to finish those!

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/cyber-paris-nightdewglory/a/arcade-tisserand-person

#WorldEmber

Finally finished another entry for #Worldember! What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with candy? How about candy-themed sea creatures?

My #WorldEmber2025 pledge is going great, I only need to add 1079 more words to my #fantasy world!

About halfway through Worldember and I'm about 3/4 way to my word goal... way better than last year! My progress so far has been a couple of elements for the Tokari goblins side of the world where my players are creating some havoc, and a bunch of foundational elements for the conflicts and a story idea I have bubbling away around the Gleaming City.

A few more here: https://www.worldanvil.com/community/challenge/worldember-2025/homepage/Ononomad

#worldember

I've been quiet in here for a while, here's my first time sharing this #WorldEmber. Finally finished the last of my "slice" articles for the Kirinal Concordance Zone! This one features a guest appearance from two eccbooks characters!

A winter-themed anomaly to start off #WorldEmber! I'm super happy with how this came out!

IT LIVES! The WorldEmber Leaderboard is Live!

It's one of my favourite times of the month, the first leaderboard update of WorldEmber.

Put the leader part of it aside though, the really awesome thing about this is that it's the most dense collection of awesome worldbuilding we get all year! All of it brand new too, so you know you're checking out an active world. What better way to find a new favourite?

In this post I'll share three of my favourites thus far, and let you know how to get your articles up on the leaderboard! Feel free to comment and share your own favourites with the rest of us, I'd love to see it!

How awesome is the worldbuilding?

Beyond awesome, my favourites thus far is Burn by Those2Nerds (Rin), Saltwalkers: Arks of the Wasteland by ThePinkGm (Lou), and The Eternal Scales by Qurilion.

If you love cyberpunk or sci fi, you'll be as fascinated by Burn as I am. It's an info-hazard virus that deletes the minds of virtual intelligences, and they're scared. As much as a virtual intelligence gets scared. Read it by clicking here!

Saltwalkers: Arks of the Wasteland is an absolute beast of an article about some absolute beasts, these massive apocalyptic armadillo-like creatures that wander the salt planes of Mornvahl. People eke out a living on their backs, constantly moving as they shed their skin. Read all about them here!

And then things get biblical in Heroic Eve: The New Eden. Qurilions new setting recontextualizes just how horrifying some of those biblical quotes are, by writing a world where Eve straight up murders god, and he splits into horrifying demiurges. The Eternal Scales is one of them, and it's so delightfully messed up. Click here to read it!

How to get on the leaderboard!

Wanna see your own articles on the leaderboard? You'll need to write a new article, give it a cool title, and get it to at least five likes. If that seems impossible, I'll show you some great ways of sharing your article to get it on the playing field.

• Make sure the article has a header, and hit "add to recent" and you might find it on the discovery feed.
• If it's at least 300 words, you can submit it to one of the special categories! You can only submit one article for each template, so pick your favourite. If you don't want to compete, you can unsubmit it later.
• Join the World Anvil discord, and share it in the worldember channel and the showcase channel!
• Make a community post about your article!
• Leave a comment on this post with a link to your article!

WorldEmber is a great time to make some worldbuilding friends, go read and enjoy, and as you participate in the community you'll find that a few people will be curious what you're making.

Come Comment Caroling!

I also welcome you to join me in Comment Caroling, which is just a cute word for leaving comments during this event. It comes with an extra special unofficial badge drawn by me, which you can add to your signature.

copy the tiny badge with the bb code img:5026791, or the big badge with img:5026772

#WorldEmber2025 #WorldEmber

Discover one of the nations of Tushora, the Royal Gaelia Alliance! #WorldEmber #nation #fantasy

I didn't know what I was going to do for #WorldEmber2025 until I thought about just going through the #DungeonsAndDragons Player's Handbook and doing my own take of each races I find there!!

♪ Halfway There ♪

With just 3 articles, I've reached just slightly past the halfway mark of the 10k World Ember goal! So far, I have created a cool new settlement, inspired by a location from Skyrim (though mine brings more joy), a new character based on one of my close friends (apparently, I have no problems creating a character from scratch, but screw me if I want to work on old characters, haha), and a new dragonkin species! (At 2430 words! The last time I added a new dragonkin was in Summer Camp o.O And I've got more coming!)

Anyway, onward to 10k words!

You can always check out my progress on the WorldEmber 2025 event page in my hub world :)

And here are the articles I've written so far:

#WorldEmber

Hey Anvilites! A Little Announcement!

Dragonguard Progress Report (DPR-16)

> Issue 16 - MY 2ND WORLDEMBER

Follow the Root Directory hub for my worlds, updates, challenges, and more!

AH! WorldEmber is here again, and it’s my 2nd one :) I’ve got many ideas in my create backlog list, but I still went for the normal 10k WorldEmber word goal. I did well last year, but let’s see how well I do this time.

Last month, I tried to work on a handful of characters for NovelEmber, but I kinda failed at that. I only managed to add a little bit of info to their side panel infoboxes. I wanted to create some backstories and other things, but I just didn’t have a clue what to do. At least I did something, so I’ll still get the participation badge.

But WorldEmber will go much better! It already has, within these past few days :) Also, a few months ago, I started a new world, so this WorldEmber for me will most likely include both!

NOW GO WORLDBUILD >:)

Community Highlights

Highlights Archive

Terraverde Basin by Tillerz

Dragon's Hoard by Blue Fairy 74

Hidalgo’s Troupe by Dimitris

Jengo’s Fire Roasted Sausage Bites by solomonjack

< Updated >

NovelEmber 2025

WorldEmber 2025

Azier Solara

Vailstrym

Airigold

Anaq

Zoltar

Ivis Larkspur

Thornfire

Sören Whitmore

Ari

Vexx Corvance

Ignistra

Valen Blackthorn

Quicksilver

Damaris Castle

Icebound Keep

< New Additions >

Blackreach

View the Progress Reports Archive to read past DPR posts!

#dpr #worldember

The Kasani Tribe, or simply Kasani, are a Dynami tribe of Human & Beast Dynami who operate over the Eyfra Commonwealth, the southern domains of the Royal Gaelia Alliance, and one-third of the Beast Kingdoms.....

#highfantasy #fantasy #WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

Meet the Dynami the Empowered Tribe who are the Lord Protectors of their dominions. #WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

I've submitted my pledge article!

It's not done yet, I'm still banging away on it this afternoon. I'm going to be focusing on just one new world, The Black Box Casino. It's a small corner of a larger project I'm working on with my friend Will Christopher Baer.

I'll make sure to include more information and links to the other WorldAnvil worlds at the end of the article.

When I "failed" to achieve my Summer Camp goal, I decided in that moment that WorldEmber would be my priority in December. I sent out an email to this effect weeks ago to make certain that my workmates knew I would be taking on no new projects in order to leave my time free for worldbuilding.

I'm so excited to be back!

I've had a lot going on, most of it good, a lot of it directly related to my worldbuilding and especially my writing. Did y'all know I've got a story in consideration for a Twilight Zone-themed anthology called The Midnight Vault?!

It's called No Returns. No Refunds. No Regrets. and you can read it here!

I'm judging again!

I'm once again a judge for WorldEmber, and I can't wait for you to find out which template I'm sponsoring! It's especially fun considering...

...well. You'll see!

Can you guess what it might be??

Leave a comment and let me know what template you think I'll be judging, and while you're there, tell me what you love most about WorldEmber!

#WorldEmber #Homework

All prepped for WorldEmber! Eager, nervous, excited. Lots of ideas on the plate, great friends behind me (big shouts to my accountability buddies Mochimanoban and Nulcheck !), and hype all around!

Let's see what fabulous things we all create together this month!

#WorldEmber #TheOwlworks #Malkora #AyunSovos #Fantasy #WE2025 #WorldEmber2025

Red Dragons Tong

I've been busily adding my cyberpunk noir science fiction world here on WA. The Red Dragons are the largest criminal syndicate on Chendiuria. Aditi "Adi" Nizhóní Peshlakai , my former Colonial Fleet Marine Myrmidon MC, has delt with the Red Dragons in the past.

I'm looking forward to WorldEmber 2025 and plan to focus on geography. I've got quite a list of articles I want to write.

I'm doing really well with NovelEmber. I am currently at 31,742 words, and I am contemplating perhaps increasing the challenge to 100k words if I can figure out how to do that on PWA.

For the foreseeable future, I am posting a chapter each Sunday. I am alternating between two stories set in my Augmented Valor world. One story features Adi and Shadows of Eros; the other story takes place about 70 years before Adi's time.

#SharetheLove #NovelEmber #anvilspace #WorldEmber2025 #cyberpunk #sciencefiction #spaceopera

WorldEmber is coming... here's what I've got planned!

I'm super excited for WorldEmber this year, it's the first year I plan to focus on a side-world. The A to Zoo is a joy to work on, but I've not felt inspired to work on it in a long time. A recent overhaul has kickstarted my motivation for the project again, and so I'm planning on carrying that straight into WorldEmber!

But enough about me, I'm really making this journal post to share some pledges from worlds I'm super excited to see more of this WorldEmber.

Firstly, we have Blue Fairy, who is focusing on the aquatic continent Ulűri̋qi̋. I really love aquatic worldbuilding and I'm super excited to see Blue's beautiful art shine through her articles. Elaqitan is a superb world and I really encourage people to check it out!

Elaqitan is also at 99 followers, will you be the lucky No. 100?

My next prep article is by Those2nerds, who plans to work on wow that's a lot of stars. wowtalos is one of my favourite worlds, with its worldbuilding on people, politics, and the connections they form.

They plan on writing important articles, and I've got my fingers crossed we get to read more planet-related articles. Please check out wowtalos and this prep article!

SanZera will always have a special place in my heart, as one of the first worlds I found on WA. I love the human made art made by Aster, it's so colourful and precious and sdnsjdnsjdnaj I love it so much. Please check out this world if you love awesome glowing animals!

#mochievements #WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025

WorldEmber is coming!

I am so excited for WorldEmber this year! I'm happy with what I've gotten done this year, but I could've done more. I could always do more. I keep telling myself that, but I have to remember that this year I've started my first full time job, a volunteer placement at a zoo (alongside another a sanctuary), I no longer live with parents, so I have less and less time and money to myself.

I'm really excited to end this year on a high note. I've spent a lot of October working hard behind the scenes on overhauling the A to Zoo, once again. This time I'm settling on what I've got.

It's been my dream, ever since I was a child, to own a zoo. It's incredibly unrealistic, but nevertheless I used to dream of it all the time. In fact, there are still drafted plans of enclosures tucked away in a box in my attic somewhere. It occurred to me at some point this year that I possess all of the abilities to make my own zoo... except it'd be entirely digital. But that's better than nothing!

So here we are, my fourth (?) overhaul of the A to Zoo. The homepage is fresh and looking better than ever, I have overhauled navigation of this world, and overall I'm just aiming for it to resemble a real zoo website as much as possible. Expect tickets pages, staff/volunteer hiring pages, and a bunch of other exciting pages throughout November, to really bring this vision to life.

If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I love World Anvil, and I'm loving this new UI update. I've been very vocal about my dislike of modals and pop-ups, and you know what, I still stand by that. I am still not a fan of the community modal in particular, and I'm more than happy to admit that. I think it's important to be honest about your thoughts on these updates. But be polite. I've not been polite in the past and it got me nowhere. It came from a place of anger, but also a place of love. I love World Anvil so much, it angered me to think I'd struggle to use the site, and I unfairly took some of that out on the Team. Admitting that is my way of moving past it.

But I went into this Athena update with a positive attitude, and I've been loving it. There are still things I'm not a fan of, but I've sent polite feedback to the team and some of my suggestions have even been implemented! Please be polite. the World Anvil Team is a small but passionate one. Yes, it's questionable, releasing intentionally unfinished updates to the entire site in the hopes of people sending polite feedback, but it's not nice to be rude. They are trying their absolute best, and doing one hell of a job. I can't imagine how stressful managing an entire website must be.

I ought to stop rambling on now, so once again, thank you for reading this! I'm going to take November to relax a little after a busy October. Reflect on my journey as a worldbuilder, see how I can improve on myself and my abilities. Love you all!

#mochievements #challenge #WorldEmber #WorldEmber2025 #WorldEmberPrep

Let's go Team Elves! Also Dolvareth is now richer, with an elven culture living hidden within the Whispering Forest

#TeamElf
#WorldbuildingShowdown

Summer Camp has wrapped up, and I’m still buzzing with excitement! This year, my world of Crux Umbra was honored with three article category awards and the Community Award for Most Inspiring World - a truly unforgettable recognition.

While winning is amazing, what really made this experience special were the people who shared it with me.

I want to give a heartfelt thank you to:

• Tyrdal, my accountability buddy, who kept me on track and made sure I didn’t lose momentum.
• Keon, who cheered my world more than anyone else and lifted my spirits with extra motivation when I needed it most.
• Mochi, who is just as wonderfully chaotic and crazy as I am! Finding a kindred spirit in you has made my time here in WA even more fun.

A big thank you to the whole World Anvil community. Your support, ideas, and enthusiasm are what make this platform so magical. Summer Camp, and really any challenge, wouldn’t be the same without all of you.

And of course, the World Anvil team, for hosting such an inspiring event and giving us all the space to create, explore, and challenge ourselves.

Here’s to more stories, more worlds, and more shared chaos!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be over here, sipping too much coffee and trying to figure out how to cram even more lore into my brain because you know what??   WORLDEMBER IS COMING

And with this #8, I close out #SummerCamp2025 with my longest article of the event. There is probably more that can be said and will be said about this superpower of an organization. One of the first factions I ever thought of for this world during its inception long ago. #Magic

I still have a lot more to put into this world, many articles to update with art assets etc, when the time and opportunity arises. I am forever grateful for #WorldAnvil for giving me this platform to share my world with you all. I hope you all enjoy!

Finally published a work!

So, I may not reach my Summer Camp goal this year, BUT that has come from finishing a short novel! I'll post the link first, and the descriptor afterwards!

You can download it here on the Storytellers Vault for free, or throw some bones my way if you feel so inclined! Reviews are also very valuable and important to me!

Washington Wilds: No Longer Human is a tight novelette set in the World of Darkness, yet requires no pre-existing knowledge to read and appreciate! Set in the real life small town of Ilwaco, Washington, it focuses on Emory Forest, a young woman living a compounding life of grief, but the latest tragedy has come not at the hands of fate, but a monster. No one believes her, however, until the mysterious "state patrol officer" Euhodia Thetis, comes to town.

No Longer Human is a story of grief, paranoia, monstrous horror, and a touch of supernatural action and a sprinkle of sapphic romance, for flavor. If any of that sounds up your alley, give it a shot! Again, it's free so even if you're uncertain, you don't gotta pay!

Sorry for plugging an advertisement during the event, but this is just the first excited step of many to come, for my World of Darkness urban horror AND Edda fiction! Thanks for reading, and I hope I've grabbed at least a few of you~!

#horror #indiewriter #selfpub #selfpromo #worldofdarkness #lesbian #novel

It is done!!

This is one of the most personal pieces I’ve ever written.

Inspired by my experience living with PCOS, The Hollowing explores a silent, incurable affliction through a fantasy lens — one that reshapes bodies, futures, and identities.

It weaves together storytelling, worldbuilding, and illustration to give voice to what often goes unseen.

I’ve been working on this quietly for some time. The art took several attempts before it finally felt like it was saying what I needed it to.

This also became an exercise in writing more deeply for one of the characters in the novel I’m working on — grounding their experience in something real.

If it resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

All the best Sori <3
#fantasywriting #worldbuilding #pcosawareness #writingfromlife #womeninworldbuilding #thehollowing #invisibleillness

Hello All,

I am Barbarossa Sparklebeard and I am here to announce my entry into WorldAnvil Summercamp '25! After a stressful university graduation - and six years at University - I am ready to get back in the saddle! I am excited and pumped to try my hand at worldbuilding once more!

Summer Camp has always been a fun time, but last year I was in a rut and I broke my Pure Diamond Run! Sadness abound! Not this year though, this year I am back and ready than ever! Diamond or Die-amond Trying! We can do this especially since I have the amazing Moonflower-Writing helping me out.

I am excited. I am going for Diamond and I am planning everything out and making sure everything is good and ready and solid.

Lets have a great summer camp and I will be posting all the challenges I get done here so I can help spread the inspiration! Lets do this!

#Summercamp25 #Summercamp #Fantasy #Worldanvil #BestYearYet

• The Mythic Birds Take Flight in Caemothas!

Greetings, fellow worldbuilders and lorekeepers!

A new wind howls across the skies of Caemothas, heralding the rise of three legendary beings whose wings shaped the balance of the world itself—the Mythic Birds.

Born of primordial force and forged in the crucible of the Eclipse Epoch, these awe-inspiring creatures are not just symbols of elemental might—they are the ifirst of their kind/i, singular, world-shaping forces that leave echoes across the planes in the form of their descendants.

Ignivar, The First Flame

• The last ember of the fallen Primordial Ignaraxis, reforged into a radiant phoenix of rebirth.
• Wherever it flies, fire is not only feared—it is understood.
• Ignivar, The First Flame

• The frost-winged sentinel born from the harmony of ice and air.
• Stillness follows its flight. Entire wars have frozen in its presence.
• Hrímveirr, the Silent Gale

Raedrak, The Storm’s Heart

• Lightning incarnate. Willed into being by Voryn, it judges from the skies with thunderous wrath.
• Cities have fallen to its roar. Leylines bend in its wake.
• Raedrak, The Storm’s Heart

Their Progeny Walk the World…

Though these three are singular in power, the world echoes their essence in the form of rare and powerful elemental beasts:

• Phoenixs – Rare firebirds descended from the spark of Ignivar. Said to be immortal flames in winged form, they burn not only with heat, but with memory.
• Glacivern – Crystalline ice birds born of Hrímveirr’s silent wings. They channel elemental cold and reflect spellcraft like living mirrors.
• Thunderbirds – Storm-charged raptors that crackle with Raedrak’s wrath. Their screeches herald skyfire and calamity.

Each species is a myth made manifest—an echo of a time when elementals were more than beasts… they were legends.

From mountaintops to the upper skies, from sacred storms to deep glacial vaults, their presence reshapes the balance of Caemothas.

Let me know which mythic being you'd seek out, bond with... or flee from.

Stay tuned for their canine counterparts—Tremorgrowl, Zephyros, and Abyrion—as the balance of the world howls back.

#worldanvil #worldbuilding #mythicalcreatures #phoenix #glacivern #thunderbird #caemothas

The Owlworks makes its Youtube (re)debut!

It only took an age and a half, but the winds of creation finally found themselves beneath my wings! Behold, my first vlog!

— - One tired but accomplished owl

I took a years-long Youtube hiatus, and now we're BACK — starting with a new writer vlog series where I take you through month-by-month adventures in the Owlworks! This episode 0.5 kicks off the series with a 2025/winter recap and covers the end of March... with most of April being through at this point (oh my god??), you likely already know where the next episode will pick up!

Be sure to subscribe so you catch future episodes of the Owlworks Vlog! Look forward to these uploads coming every early- to mid-month!

I really hope you enjoy following along my journey as an all-over-the-place creator, and every bit of support is mega appreciated! Likes, comments, and shares help tell the Youtube algorithm that I'm not just some weirdo on the internet, but a weirdo on the internet that's worth watching :)

#TheOwlworks #WAWA #WorldbuildingAwards

Caemothas is Alive – New Tectonic & Ley Line Maps!

After a lot of work, I’ve finally finished two major layers of the world map:

Tectonic Plate Maps – Showing oceanic and continental plates, including fault types and microplates.

Ley Line Overlay – Highlighting the world’s magical energy network, with glowing paths for healthy and scarred ley lines.

These maps shape the geography, magic, and even the history of Caemothas—tying into volcanoes, arcane nexuses, and lost civilizations.

#Worldbuilding #Caemothas #FantasyMaps #MagicInfrastructure

The Ley Line Map

Oceanic Tectonic Plates of Caemothas

The Continental Tectonic Framework of Caemothas

We’re back with a new interview: this time featuring Cas, TTRPG designer and contributor at Runic Press.

In D20 Questions, creators roll a d20 twenty times to decide which questions they’ll answer. By the end, Cas shares their thoughts, some surprises, and a sneak peek at their upcoming $1 zine, Shiny Good, launching April 15.

Check it out if you're into game design, indie publishing, or just enjoy seeing how different minds approach the space.

#IndieTTRPG #DND5E #GameDesign #D20Interview #WorldAnvil #TabletopCommunity #RunicPress #ShinyGood

WAWA Update from the Owlworks: HOLY / BLUE ANVIL /!

Many of you got to witness my live reactions to this information, but... six nominations??? I've done nothing but lay spiritually on the floor (maybe physically as well, for a little while) and process this!

Thank you SO much for the community love and support — for my third Worldbuilding Awards run, you've tripled my total nomination count in one act of love and fevered voting. I hope I can count on you again to pull an award or two from these nominations, but I am just so thrilled to have reached this point. Much love!

For my fellow nominees:

First off, you're incredible! Voting in the first round was hard enough, but making those final decisions was truly killer.

If you'd like some fancy graphics to promote your work this month, the nominee gallery made its return once again! Sorry for the day's delay, but I hope you enjoy them!

#WAWA #TheOwlworks #AyunSovos #Malkora #WAWA2025 #WorldbuildingAwards

Wow. Can you all believe it's almost March already? I had so much I wanted to do but so much is happening and it's just a bit XP but, as always, I'm just trying to keep praying and keep going. Today, I have a couple of interesting updates for you all.

Enter the WaWa!

I entered the WorldAnvil WorldBuilding Awards this year! If you would like to check out all my entries (and maybe cast a vote or two) check out the webpage here:

Kickstart the ZineMonth!

I launched a project for ZineQuest and ZineMonth called Rock Paper Scissors Spy. You can find more info and back the project here:

I plan on debuting more art and info for it soon, but things have just been so all over the place for me. If you have any questions about anything, please don't hesitate to ask them! I also made an unofficial challenge for Friendship February that goes hand-in-hand with it. Join if you'd like. It's free!

Streaming Schedule!

I've been streaming on Twitch (or at least trying to)! If you'd like to hang out, the best thing to do would be to follow my Twitch channel here: https://www.twitch.tv/wordigirl, or join my Discord server here: https://discord.gg/wordigirl and grab the Watchers role so that you can be notified whenever I go live. I really need to start putting disclaimers on my schedules. Sadly, things haven't been working out for me to stream exactly on time lately.

Support and Subscriptions!

If you aren't already a part of the agency, please consider joining! It will help me a lot. Even if you can't pledge to the Kickstarter or buy merch, signing up for WILLOWISP tier for as little as $1 per month, or even making a one-time contribution can go a long way. I am extremely grateful to each and every one of you who follow, donate, and support me and my work. Words cannot express my eternal gratitude, especially in these tough times. Check this page for all the different ways you can support or join the agency:

Infinite Imaginations Discord Server!

We have so much fun in the Discord server! From Questions of the Day to Drabble Prompts, to Role Play games, cool conversations, and more! There are all sorts of things to do and all sorts of wonderful peeps to meet. Plus, Handsome Co-Host is there. If you're already here, say hi! We'd love to get to know you more. We've even started a monthly Talent Showcase to help people get eyes on their work. Join for free here: https://discord.gg/wordigirl

I think that's about all for the free update. If you would like more secrets, consider subscribing, even for as low as $1 per month. God bless and much success with all your plans! Sending prayers, love, and healing hugs your way always. Know that you can reach out if ever you want or need.

#unofficialchallenge #friendshipfebruary #wawa #worldbuildingawards #discord #community #update #kickstarter #news #zinemonth #zinequest

Do you get that too?

It is so painful to write so many good articles that I can only show to one or two of my players ... I want to share them but SECRETS EVERYWHERE! #worldbuilding-pains #secrets

• Archanic Core
• Chronometronome
• The Praxis Nexus
• Verdant Cradle