The 2025 Guild of Writers Rapid Age Development (RAD) contest concluded March 8, 2025, which challenged participants to design a Pod Age before the deadline. Five Ages were submitted for consideration – Pod 5 by Philip, Pod 56 by Semjay, Rigilahs by Ametist, Sahnkep by Jrius, and Fahets Shallows by Tweek.
Pod 5 (Philip)
Pod 5, created by Philip, shows scenic views of a sea, a beach with palm trees and plants, and a cliff. In the distance, we can see a cottage and rowboats – is it possible someone lived here?
Pod 56 (Semjay)
Pod 56, created by Semjay, was originally installed in an empty desert, but over time, caught the attention of an indigenous population. The pod became an object of devotion and worship, and a large temple was built around it.
Rigilahs (Ametist)
Created by Ametist, the Rigilahs Pod (or Pod #9) is situated on a small island out in a bay near the main Rigilahs landmass in the Pod Age. This Pod was used by scientists, scholars and apprentices to study the animal life in and around the bay and in the greater ocean.
Sahnkep (Jrius)
Created by Jrius, the Sahnkep Age Pod sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking a verdant basin littered with enormous bones. It seems the sea level of this Age lowered long ago, resulting in the unique features that can be seen here.
Fahets Shallows (Tweek)
The Fahets Shallows Pod, created by Tweek, is set in the Fahets Age. The Guild of Restorers has built a replica D’ni observation pod and sunk it off the northeast coast of Fahets in an effort to study the marine wildilfe in the region. The shallows teem with life and resemble a peaceful garden beneath the waves.
Results
Between March 8-11, a panel of judges consisting of Harley, Buddy, Hoikas and TheScarFr evaluated each submission based on a number of different criteria, and after the final scores were tallied, Sahnkep by Jrius was announced as the winner on March 11.
While these Ages were all developed purely for fun, some of the participants may choose to revisit these in the future for possible inclusion in MOULa, depending on interest. In the meantime, congratulations to Jrius and all who participated!