The Realms
An up-to-date overview of my 8 worldbuilding projects.
Edit: As of 2023, Diaspora [DSP] has been renamed to Astra Planeta [ASP]. As of 2022, Aedrynn [ADN] has been retired from the list, replaced by The Midnight Sea [TMS].
ASP | AV | OE | SPH | TMS | CDL | LOR | PR
In which the human species embraces its cosmic wanderlust and slowly, conscientiously, we venture out into the stars.
[ASP] The Astra Planeta universe is a hopeful exploration of humanity’s future within the local stellar group, as well as speculation on the history and ecology of nearby alien worlds, with equal parts scientific realism and social optimism. Humanity, and our extraterrestrial allies, still face hardships, of course –after all, the universe isn’t a particularly hospitable place– but the stories of Astra Planeta center on cooperating in the face of adversity and utilizing interpersonal differences as a source of strength against the unsympathetic cosmos.
In which humankind is suddenly and unceremoniously thrust into a bustling galactic super-civilization, and gradually discovers there is much more to both the past and future of our universe than we ever imagined.
[AV] The Arcverse is a fictional version of our universe that speculates on the myriad possible forms of intelligent life on other worlds, and the evolution of starfaring civilizations over vast spans of time and space. The project is strongly rooted in current scientific theory yet strives to maintain the look, feel, and tone of a soft-sci space opera, and is presented in a manner intended to inspire wonder at the vastness of our universe and the endless possibility contained within.
In which humanity, its genetic legacy splintered into millions of descendant species across the Orion Arm, seeks the grandest mysteries the universe yet holds.
[OE] Orion's Echo is primarily intended as the setting for a tabletop RPG campaign of the same name, using the Hyperlanes game system. This realm blends the scope and setting of whimsical planet-hopping science fiction with story elements of cosmic horror and mystery. It is built on a speculative vision of humanity's far future in the galaxy, both a science-fictional take on classical elements of D&D and a love letter to the Golden Age of science fiction.
In which a wide diversity of intelligent beings sharing the planet Sphaera trace their ancestry to a vast experiment enacted by an ancient and powerful civilization originally hailing from Earth itself.
[SPH] Sphaera is an Earth-like world within an universe parallel to ours, where magic is a force of nature with its own physical laws. Sphaera itself is verdant with fantastical organisms and cultures that seem pulled straight from legend. The project aims to subvert, invert, or uniquely explain many fantasy tropes with a more scientific angle; building up an expansive and diverse setting while retaining the feeling of coherent closeness typical of fantasy worlds.
In which a brave crew of explorers sails the Midnight Sea in search of danger, adventure, and most importantly fellowship -for no spacer is ever alone.
[TMS] The Midnight Sea is one of many names for the space between suns; that wondrous, endless, dark void that seems to beckon planetbound beings to reach ever further. A sea it is, in a sense: one must voyage far across it to find other islands of civilization, and strange things lurk in the starry deep. The Midnight Sea is a collaborative space fantasy tabletop game setting, derived from the Spelljammer supplements of Dungeons & Dragons in a somewhat haphazard attempt to link all of the major contemporary D&D and MtG settings together under our collective fanon.
In which the infinite potential of the multiverse is distilled into a cesspool of mixed realities, overseen by a perpetually-stoned quasi-deity and inhabited by beings beyond your wildest fever dreams.
[CRDL] Crundle is a planet-ish realm at the center of the "Crundleverse," a surreal puddle of existence that resides beneath Everything Else. The Crundleverse is formed and sustained by the mingling of magical energy that trickles down from every possible reality. As such, Crundle is a kaleidoscopic realm of non sequitur, a literal idea wastebasket; and the only way to cope with the absurdity of it all is to simply sit back and enjoy the weird.
In which a precious few intrepid, curious souls know the true nature of the ashen world they inhabit.
[LOR] Bleakworld is the working project title for the land of Lor: a barren waste inhabited by strange beasts and tenacious peoples. The project is an exercise in imagination on the part of the audience and an endeavor of meticulous ambiguity on the part of the author: everything in Bleakworld canon is worded extremely carefully to avoid giving away the true nature of the setting.
In which a group of friends discover their small town -and their whole world- is not what it seems.
[PR] Pinereach is a small town of about 500 people nestled comfortably in the Cascade Mountains of northern California, at the center of an elaborate web of unusual events that border on the supernatural. Pinereach is the setting and shared title of a weird fiction story project written by myself and four coauthors.
