Something that I’ve been trying to do everyday is create this world I’m making. I have a world building book, and I’m working with ChatGPT on some writing prompts.

I’ve been writing some stories that I call New Eden Stories. These take place in Appalachia country and include many of the cryptids and laws that make up their superstitions.

This is what I know so far…

Free Write Start

There are many rules in New Eden, but the best rule is: keep on your toes.

• Do not go into the woods alone.
• Do not go into the woods without protection.
• Do not engage with voices when you can’t tell where they are coming from.
• Do not engage with figures when you can’t see their faces.
• Be mindful of dead deer. Sometimes its not a deer.
• There is always an opportunity for escape; be mindful of opportunities in a sticky situation.

There are Five factions that I am aware of at present:

• New Haven
• Aos Si
• Jolly Rogers
• Viking Village (nameless)
• Goblin village (nameless)

New Haven

A Christian settlement, practicing a Catholic faith with a man named Wyatt Hill as the High Shepherd, leader of New Haven and Priest of Holy Hollow Church.

There are a Council of Elders who serve as a type of legislative class that concern themselves with the Theocracy of New Haven. Sometimes they get caught up in the law and forget about mercy.

There is a group of judges…

There are guilds including:

• Guild of Harvesters: farmers
• Guild of Keepers: ranchers, livestock, bees
• Guild of Smiths: blacksmiths, metal workers
• Guild of Herbalists: medicine makers, apothecaries
• Guild of Hands: builders, masons, carpenters
• Guild of Watchers: police, military, city guards
• Guild of Tithes: ledger keepers, accountants, resource management
• Guild of Bells: artists, sculptors, musicians
• Guild of Scribes: Librarians, writers
• Guild of the Veil: faerie nuns with the gift of healing, voice, assistants to the High Shepherd

Free Write End

Not sure if you guys like these; they’re really meant for me but also helping me get to back to posting. I plan on doing more New Eden stuff soon. Need to finish/start the second part of Aos Si, but there is so much going on that I am just trying to keep my head afloat.

Preface

I was dreaming about this weird world this morning. The best I could figure for it was that the US collapsed and everything fell apart. But of course people adapted.

I think when this happens, because it really is a matter of when at this point, it is going to suck for us still alive (I’m an American, BTW)

But I also think we will adapt, and I’m not sure what that means. So this free write, I’m just going to tinker with that idea.

Free write start

It finally happened. The United States collapsed.

After all the over taxing, fraud, and all other closed-door-dealings, the representatives drove the economy into the ground and changed the mighty US into a third-world country.

Many of those reps fled. They saw the writing on the wall. And those that didn’t wished they’d had.

Over 200 reps, judges, lobbyists, or whoever (people were so mad that if you were wearing an expensive suit, you were rounded up with them) were hanged. A gallows was erected right outside of the House, and the world watched as iteration after iteration of so-called leaders swung and danced fancy with the devil before he took them to their new home.

It was televised. One of the last televised events before things began to shut down. There was no money, only infrastructure, and too many were disenfranchised that they stopped working.

Those who saw their work as a civil duty continued to work. They weren’t getting paid, but power was a huge responsibility. Coal was burned, but not enough, and plenty were so bitter from the collapse they just decided it was over for them.

At first, businesses tried to maintain capitalism, but as the dollar was nearly worthless, it was a struggle to figure out what one could actually sell and make any money. Trade began to occur, but the value of a chicken or eggs or whatever was not considered.

These men dealt federal notes, not comodities.

The majority of people created little tribes and villages and just started looting.

Phone service was down. Those who had radios were using them to coordinate.

Police tried to maintain order, but the numbers did not equal, and even police were scarred by the collapse.

The military was supposed to stop the hangings, however, individual identity kicked in and most soldiers deserted if not partook in the public executions.

Too long had some of these reps been permitted to make decisions that ruined the United States. Too long. And once the dollar was finally worth nothing in the eyes of the world did every American feel it.

And it got to the point that the mob didn’t stop pointing their fingers at the “bad guys.”

Lynching continued. Every “evil group” was brought to the gallows.

There were sympathizers and factions and us-vs-them politics however it was more than just two parties.

Religious factions.

Racial factions.

Professional factions.

Military.

And all of these were split as everyone fought for resources.

End Free Write

That was about 30 minutes free write.

I don’t know. This is just what I imagine happening. That being said maybe there would be an invasion from China, Russia, or where ever.

I’m definitely not a political science major, but I think the temperature in the US is hot for civil strife.