Issue 10: Commons

On collaborative worldbuilding and a new short story

Justin Mulwee
June 30, 2026

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Author unknown

Dear fans of interactive fantasy,

It's been about 8 months since my last newsletter. Feeling satisfied that I'd expressed a lot of what I wanted to say about my take on fantasy and interactive fiction in last year's letters, I've been quiet because I wanted to appear in your inbox again when I had something to say other than general musings. Because at the end of the day, I want to be a creative writer and not just a blogger.

We can discuss the future of the browser game another time. Today, I want to draw your attention three things:

Veiled Age World Guide

The idea of shared worldbuilding has always excited me just as much as my own storyline. So, I've consolidated 2-3 years worth of worldbuilding notes into a presentable PDF introducing a Creative Commons fantasy setting for free community use. See this post for more info and to download the guide:

Veiled Age: A Creative Commons, Cosmic Medieval Fantasy Setting

Veiled Age World Guide I’ve always wished there was a decent, open source high fantasy setting that a community of writers could gather around without giving up any rights to their own work. But it’s tough to get such a thing going without a good foundation and a curator. So, after working on this setting for about 3 years with occasional help from a couple of writer friends (special thanks to Dan and Steven), I now present a proper introduction to this Creative Commons fantasy setting, suitabl...

Veiled Age Forums

Here's some sample pages:

Memories of Menesa

I've also written an 8000 word short story that takes place in the setting and showcases some of its oddities, including the ancient Oryth language.

It's called Memories of Menesa, and you can read it in full right here:

Memores of Menesa - A Short Story

On a lonely mountain, an abandoned coldblood is awoken from her 1000 year sleep by a tribe of nomads on a pilgrimage. Finding herself in a strange land dotted with crumbling vestiges of the world she knew, she must find a place among these primitive humans who are eager to hear her stories of the Star-lit Age. This is a 9500-word short story set in the creative commons Veiled Age universe. Chapter 1: An Abandoned Creature 1-1 First Breath in 1000 Years After an age of silence, there came...

Veiled Age Forums

Lore Jam #1: Oryth Artifacts

To coincide with publishing the World Guide, I'd like to try a community event where various writers make up lore around a given theme with a deadline. If you like the idea of a communal fantasy setting, or just enjoy fantasy writing prompts, see this post.

Lore Jam #1: Oryth Artifacts (July 2026)

Welcome to the first Veiled Age Lore Jam. This coincides with the release of the Veiled Age World Guide, which details a Creative Commons fantasy setting. Lore Jam? Kind of like a game jam, goal of a lore jam is to collectively add depth and detail to this setting by submitting lore entries or story scenes around a specific theme. Our first theme is Oryth artifacts. To participate, simply reply to this thread with the full text of your entry, anytime between now and July 31. I will then pick ...

Veiled Age Forums