The Setting: World & Universe

Arriving and exploring Fort Gotten.

Our Inner Kidz

We all arrive in this world with an inner child. This inner child is the driving force behind our creativity, our curiosity, and our child-like sense of wonder. When we are kids, this inner kid is literally who we are, that’s why kids are inherently creative, unafraid to create, and have an insatiable curiosity.

But, as we grow older, we begin to slowly detach from this kid, breaking ties with our creative selves to fit in in a society that values uniformity and a superficial sense of security over anything else. We stop believing there is space for creativity, we start to judge ourselves and we let others dictate how we should be in favor of “fitting into” the “real world” and its challenges.

Being apart from their adult counterparts for the first time, these kidz end up lost, wandering around the unfamiliar landscape we have come to know as Fort Gotten: the world where all our inner-kidz live once they have been forgotten.

The Arrival

The process of inner kid detachment may take months or even years, but to our kidz, it’s just an instant. In the blink of an eye, they’ll suddenly find themselves alone, with no recollection of their past life, no memories, no identity, and wondering if this is all a dream. Sudden flashbacks of their adult counterpart may pop up here and there but in an instant, they’ll be brought back to their new reality; alone and lost, in Fort Gotten.

Most kidz manage to find other forgotten kidz quickly, almost like there’s a strange force drawing them to each other. But not everyone shares this luck… there’s always an unlucky few who wander alone for days, or even weeks feeling lost. Afraid. Not knowing where they came from or where they’re going.

Because of this, most camps have created a special force (mostly conformed by scouts) dedicated exclusively to finding these lost kidz, in hopes that no one has to experience the distraught of being not only forgotten but also alone. No one should be left behind in the unknown lands of Fort Gotten, but with a mostly unexplored landscape, finding lost children is no easy feat.

Either by themselves or in groups… all kidz find out sooner or later, there is only one thing everyone needs to work towards: Survival… and it usually goes much better by being together.

The Universe

While Fort Gotten is far from being a welcoming place, there is one thing our lost kidz will experience for the first time: complete and utter freedom. With no adults around, our inner children can finally express themselves freely and live up to their true selves without restraints.

Whether it’s scribbling, painting, building, cutting their hair, or setting out to explore, there’s nothing and no one there to stop them. In fact, this is what drives them. Creativity is in fact, the key to their survival.

All they do, the camps, the tools, the technology, the rules… it’s all is driven by creativity: through creative thinking and problem solving, through being resourceful with what’s lying around, through playful explorations. That is indeed why most things in Fort Gotten share this improvised, handmade look… because it was, in fact, made by kidz and for kidz.

It’s hard getting used to it. This world, or rather this undiscovered universe, doesn’t play by the same rules we’re used to. Kidz doesn’t seem to age and time flows differently. Some nights feel endless and daylight seems to fade away too quickly somedays.

There’s still so much we don’t understand, but we have one thing straight. There are countless secrets left to uncover, and plenty of curiosity to be satisfied… the only thing left to do is search for the answers.

What’s Out There?

It’s only natural that once you find fellow kidz and you start working towards a common goal you won’t want to leave the safety of your camp. You’ll hesitate to wander too far off even though there’s nothing stopping you.

The Fort Gotten Kidz are still kidz at their core, so kid-like instincts still influence and drive most of their decisions. Things like having an inherent fear of the dark or the instinct to stick together and not wander off alone are just second nature to the kidz.

Naturally, though, they also have a drive for adventure, and an insatiable curiosity, so there is a fine balance between the safety of their camps and their wish to explore, which is why some kidz are scouts or foragers and others are clerics and tinkerers… to each their own.

Together, though, they have started to explore the world, but these few discoveries have only fueled this feeling of uncertainty, strengthening the fear of the unknown.

Fair enough.

Remnants of ancient civilizations, crumbling buildings, abandoned cars, and cities in ruins don’t really inspire a sense of safety and comfort… but that is also the exact same reason why a few of the bunch get only a stronger drive for adventure and exploration.

While Fort Gotten is not a particularly harsh environment, it may be a different story for kidz! This is most apparent in the more extreme regions, like the cold frozen mountain tops or the arid deserts on the other side of the Fort Gotten Mountain Range.

However, we would be wrong to underestimate them. We know for a fact that against all odds, not only have they survived in these environments, but they have thrived. As more and more kidz find each other, they built camps, explored the different regions, and worked together to make life easier, more exciting, and filled with opportunities for adventure.

It’s truly outstanding to see how creative freedom can drive a few otherwise lost kidz into building functional societies that grow and develop alongside their communities.

Life Beyond the Campz

Life beyond your camp is vastly unknown, but some camps have been able to communicate with others. All camps have scouts that help maintain order and explore what lies beyond the safety of their perimeter. While most of them explore the forests, deserts, and mountains within their region, there have been a few exceptional scouts who have stood out, venturing between camps and exploring far beyond their land in name of research and knowledge.

On another note, camp life is not for everyone. A few select kidz struggle to keep up with the structure found within camps and ultimately decide to dedicate their life to adventure, traveling the world, and letting their hearts guide whatever comes next…

Who knows what they can discover, or what they have already discovered.

Explore Fort Gotten Today!

If you want to reconnect with your inner child and discover the world of Fort Gotten, Episode 02 is Minting Now! Get your kidz and join our community on Discord → See you at the Camps!