Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Sat Aug 30th - Fri Sep 5th

Worldbuilding Showdown: Elves vs. Aliens


For this one-week challenge, we're exploring cultures in your setting! Choose either an elvish culture or an alien culture to develop. By choosing, you'll join either #TeamElf or #TeamAlien, and the team with the most submissions by Friday 5th wins the Showdown!   Here are some ideas for both teams to get your started!  

Team Elves

Elves don't have to be the immortal almost-perfect beings typical in traditional high fantasy. Elves can also be...  
  • ...the result of genetic mutations on other humanoids (possibly a failed experiment).
  • ...a human subculture that strives to live in harmony with nature.
  • ...a nihilistic subculture that wants to see the universe burn as the only way to escape immortality.
  • ...the majority people in a world where humans are the exotic species.

Team Aliens

Aliens have a wide spread of representations in media and literature, so here are some ideas! Aliens can be...  
  • ...undercover visitors from another world in a fantasy setting.
  • ...planet-eating space dragons.
  • ...the descendants of a group of humans that left the planet many millennia ago.
  • ...visiting because they really enjoy something the native people find trivial.
 
 
Ready? Grab your hammer, pick a team, and build an amazing culture!
 
Unsure how the challenge works? Keep reading to learn more!

The Prompts

Click on a prompt to write your response.
Let the games begin!

Ethnicity

Join team elves!

Submit an article about an elvish culture and claim the victory your magical forest deserves!
Remember: You can't join both teams!
Write Prompt List all Entries
Ethnicity

Join team aliens!

Take to the stars to develop an alien culture and submit it to claim your team's victory!
Remember: You can't join both teams!
Write Prompt List all Entries

Join the Race!

Do you want to get your worldbuilding skills up to scratch? Join the fun!

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT

How to Enter

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Make sure you have a World Anvil account (and you're logged in!).
  2. Choose between writing about an elvish or an alien culture (or subculture), and create an Ethnicity article for it (you can't submit to both teams!).
  3. Write at least 300 words in the article and submit it to the corresponding team.
  4. Submit the Ethnicity article before September 5th! To do so, make sure the article is not a draft (i.e. published) and public (i.e. not private), then click the challenge button at the bottom of the article editor to select the team.
  You're welcome (and encouraged!) to bend the prompt and make it fit your world. The team with the most entries will win the challenge and get the winner badge for their team. The other team will get a unique participation badge for their team.   The final results of the challenge will be announced on stream, on September 6th.

Rules

  • The article you submit needs to be at least 300 words long. There's no maximum word count.
  • You can't submit to both teams! If you do, both of your entries will be disqualified from the challenge and you will not get either badge.
  • Your article must be submitted before the closing time to be eligible, and it must be public and published.
  • Only one article may be submitted per person (this does not mean one article per world, in cases where multiple authors work on a single world).
  • World Anvil retains the right to arbitrate and/or change the rules where necessary to uphold the spirit and integrity of this event and the community. We will communicate changes as necessary.
  • As always, World Anvil claims no ownership over your original work.
 
For any further questions or clarifications about this challenge, message the Community Team (@Community Team) on the World Anvil Discord or post to the World Anvil Facebook Group!
 

Sharing & Community

If you share your answers on social media, make sure to use the #WorldbuildingShowdown hashtag and mention @WorldAnvil anywhere so we can see them! Plus, this month, you have Team Aliens and Team Elves article stickers available too! Use them to share the love and show off how cool your team is.  
Looking for inspiration or seeking some ideas? Make sure to stop by the World Anvil Discord, our Facebook Group or Subreddit for worldbuilding conversation and inspiration!