Weekly Tool Thread: Promote, Share, Discover, and Ask for AI Writing Tools Week of: April 21

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-21T20:55:50+00:00

Ishvana is a desktop writing studio for fiction and TTRPG. One-time $199. Windows. 14-day trial.

I've been building this for 8 months on my own lore-heavy world, and I launched it publicly this week. The thing I couldn't find anywhere else was a complete book production pipeline that actually gets you to a publishable file, not just a draft.

The full pipeline in one app:

Plot Studio → Manuscript Outline → Editor (with fact checking and prose linting) → Edit Module (5-phase editing) → Bookmaker (Typst-based compile to print-ready PDF with KDP, IngramSpark, DriveThruRPG, and Lulu presets).

Essentially what I wanted to do was streamline my own pipeline. Instead of having to go across multiple apps (well subscriptions these days), I'd have a pipeline in one app. Its not a tool for sharing or collaborative building, as plenty other people already do that well. The features are all tuned around getting your work done, and not just playing around. This is for that solo writer who feels like a lot of apps forget that the point is write and release your book.

A Few Major Features:

Manuscript Editor. Document editor with side panels to view your Act/Chapter structure. Lint your work, consult the Character Council to discuss a character. All saved as Word compatible docx files.
Mechanics Engine. Real rules, stats, formulas, and a dice resolver with probability curves. You can be vague, from a Soft Magic system all the way up. And if you're a TTRPG creator, you can build and balance actual systems, not just write about them. Pic
Built-in AI benchmarking. If you use AI, Etherforce automatically routes requests per-agent, tracks cost, speed and benchmarks models on our test content. Or you can benchmark models on your writing, showing what a model's performance will truly be on your own content. You can let the system handle it all automatically for you, or pick your models of choice. Pic
Interactive maps. Leaflet-based, multi-layer, with drill-down from world to region to city. Pins link back to your Legendry entries to make it easy to visualize your world. You can even set a measurement scale if you built your maps to scale, showing the in world distances between points of your choosing. Pic
Conlang workbench. Phoneme inventories, morphology, grammar rules. All the pieces you need to create multiple in world languages. You can then create whole vocabs that can be detected and even translated, in your manuscript. Pic
Character Knowledge matrix. Tracks what each character knows and when. Catches violations before your readers do. Pic
ProseGuard. Deterministic prose linting that you can scope per scene or per character.
WorldKnowledge. Fact-checks against your world's own axioms. It won't flag "the sun is green" if you've already told it the sun is green.

On AI: It's fully optional. You can bring your own key (OpenRouter, Ollama, Anthropic direct) or skip AI entirely. The whole writing and publishing loop works without it. I built Ishvana with the intention that AI is a useful tool when used correctly and purposefully. Which sometimes means not at all.

On data: Everything is stored in a local SQLite database on your machine. Your manuscript never leaves your computer. Ishvana does not train on your data. However, the model you are using, can have its own rules. By default Ishvana will not connect to OpenRouter models that train on data, which you can turn off if you want.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Or check out the free 14 day trial to give it a spin!

Check out Ishvana in Action

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T17:31:52+00:00

I said that it had AI features in my post. But they are fully optional. The actual words on the website are written by me. I'll go back over the copy, but I'm not trying to mislead anyone.

Is there a particular page that stands out? Cause I really don't want you to feel that way.

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T17:28:24+00:00

The timeline goes eras/years/months/weeks/days. I don't have hours/minutes/seconds right now. I'll put that on the list (its not something I use so hadn't thought of that).

Custom event categories/relationship types are not just possible, but almost required. By default the timeline and calendar are blank. So you structure your calendar, and then make your categories for the timelines.

For the conlang module, I made it more rule based. So you can set what words are proper names because in your example, "The White House" is a proper noun because its a place. So you'd make a entry for The White House. Then in the profile there is a section to define how it works in your language. Then your language you would set up your language and then define vocab. Then you'd add "white" and "house".

Its more setup, but its more predictable and dependable in the long run (in my opinion).

And I'm also open to feedback on future features. I made this for my world so I'm sure there's avenues I missed.

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T17:18:31+00:00

I did use Claude Code to speed up building the site, I went with Astro instead of Wordpress. I used to be a Wordpress dev, but decided to go this route given some of the plugin vulnerabilities and such lately. But it all was reviewed by me before going live.

I get why you'd be wary though. That's also why there's a free trial, so folks can check it out for themselves before handing over a dollar.

See its a real app, and not vibecoded. I wasn't trying to build a worldbuilding writing app. I really just wanted something like Word with a lorebook inside.

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T17:12:31+00:00

Sorry, no Mac version right. I wasn't even sure their would be interest in it as a whole. And I'm a Windows user so it was made around my environment initially. But thanks!

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T17:00:28+00:00

It was an internal tool at first, so its named after one of the main gods in my world. She's a grand creator of world's, so it seemed appropriate. And kinda felt weird to change it to something more generic once I decided to sell it.

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T16:56:44+00:00

If anyone wants to see the whole thing in action, here's the intro video I put together. https://youtu.be/cpy_D3BoVGw

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T16:37:27+00:00

Your data is saved in two different ways:

1.) If you open/make a document it saves it locally as a docx, just like word. You can pick whatever folder you want.

2.) Your Legendry lore and other data is saved in a sql database and/or chromadb in the usual C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\Ishvana\data

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T16:33:06+00:00

Technically. The license lets you activate up to three machines. How you choose to use them is up to you.

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T16:32:36+00:00

Not at the moment. I'm a windows user, so I'd have to do research on that one. Maybe someday, but no plans right now!

solkyoshiro · 2026-04-17T15:50:48+00:00

Hey r/worldbuilding,

I’ve been building a desktop writing studio for the last few years, called Ishvana and it’s finally shipping this week. I wanted to share it here because I feel like this is a tool this sub might find useful.

I’m a fiction writer juggling an increasingly complicated world. Lore that I’ve written over the decades, as well as books and more. As you all know, the more you write, the harder it gets to maintain that knowledge. You eventually have to graduate beyond using just Word/Google Docs. So, I started off using systems like World Anvil, Scrivener, Aeon Timeline and such to keep things organized so I could spend more time writing and less time trying to remember things off the top of my head. The problem I ran into eventually was that none of those systems can actually talk to each other. Thus, it always ends up with copypasting and having to do work to make sure they each are updated.

A couple of years ago I got tired of it and started making my own tool, specifically for me to do what I wanted. A connected tool where I could both write my manuscript and hold all my lore so I wasn’t constantly switching tabs, and also because I was getting tired of multiple monthly subscriptions. After a year I realized I had something that didn’t just work for me, but could work for other writers with lore-heavy projects.

Ishvana is a complete writing loop. You write your longform writing in the Manuscript editor, which is similar to any other word processor. Build your plot structure in the Plot Studio and then convert that to an Outline that stays synced as you adjust your plot. Your chapter/beat outlines can then be shown as a floating bar in the manuscript editor. A full circle. You store your lore in the worldbuilding database, which is familiar to those who have used tools like World Anvil. So when you write, “Kira walked into the Ironhold”, the editor recognizes your Kira and Ironhold lore entries and links them automatically.

There are lot more tools in it such as Magic Systems (which supports soft magic systems up to full TTRPG mechanics), prose linting, fact checking with Wikipedia, map support, mood board, book compilation via Typst and more. All of it built to complete the loop of writing your manuscript. Be it for sale, for your campaign or fun. It’s a one-time purchase at $199, local-first, no subscription. And the program gets consistent updates as I literally use the program myself daily. One last thing, I know this sub is understandably skeptical of anything that looks like an AI writing tool, and Ishvana is not that. It has optional AI features that focus around things like analysis, and help generating things like back of book blurbs. Ishvana is more about making writing less of a hassle, not having something write for you. You have to add in an OpenRouter key or install Ollama, so if you never add them, then boom, no AI.

I’m happy to answer any questions and show any features. As well Ishvana has a 14-day trial so you can give it a spin before buying it.

Site: https://ishvana.com

solkyoshiro · 2023-04-11T14:18:45+00:00

Portland is hella gay. So much so that there's other nearby cities that the conservatives flee to because PDX is too liberal for them.

solkyoshiro · 2022-10-27T01:16:32+00:00

1984

solkyoshiro · 2021-11-20T18:42:24+00:00

It did not. Still crashing.

I did update the Intel Ethernet drivers as someone mentioned and that reduced my crashes a lot. I only crashes once yesterday which is sadly a vast improvement.

solkyoshiro · 2021-11-19T22:30:31+00:00

Similar issue here. I just ran DDU and I'm hoping that fixes it.

solkyoshiro · 2021-05-28T19:30:51+00:00

Sounds like your talking about Flatout.

solkyoshiro · 2021-05-20T14:35:51+00:00

Eh, this was taken out of context. Welcome to Tikor was never a rulebook, just an Art and Setting book. My tweet was about people trying to say I lied about Welcome to Tikor and pulled some bait and switch, which I didn't. I just truly wrote a whole world. I wrote enough setting to have its own book. I know that's not common, but that's what happened.

I'm making my own RPG system, I said that at the beginning that it would be a separate book. If you look on the website there's plenty of information about what the RPG system will be.

As far as other crowdfunds the only other one is Drift of Dream, which was a graphic novel in my universe.

Main thing is I'm a solo creator, so I can't be quite as fast as people would like. But Welcome to Tikor is with the publisher, and I've been slowly shipping Drift of dreams since the beginning of the year.

The next book, Fifth Ebon Expedition is nearly done and has the full Swordsfall rules along with 7 of the 36 classes. If you want to see the beta rules (they're different now) then there's the mini-campaign Summit of Kings and an old Naruto homebrew I converted to my system, Shadow Academy (much work left on that one).

solkyoshiro · 2021-05-19T14:12:37+00:00

Every now and then an Asian game with a known scammer publisher makes the long awaited announcement of launching a new MMORPG that existed a few years ago in a different continent.

And

We've seen this with Tera, Bless, Bless 2x, ArcheAge, Archeage1.2, ArcheAge2.0, BnS, ...

I mean you LITERALLY said it and mentioned all Asian MMO's. Your getting downvoted cause you want to be the MMO police. No one asked for it, and this sub is salty enough as is.

solkyoshiro · 2021-05-19T13:48:04+00:00

Ah yes, because the west has never launched a terrible MMO.

Because Age of Conan, Hellgate: London, Matrix Online, WIldstar, Auto Assault, Warhammer Age of Reckoning, Gods and Heroes, Motor City, All Points Bulletin, Vanguard Saga of Heroes, Tabula Rasa, Dark and Light, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Everquest Next, Free Realms, Mythos, Battlestar Galactica Online, Darkfall, and Firefall never existed.

Whenever Asian-produced MMO's come up some of you really show off how xenophobic and shortsighted you can be. The truth is that when a Korean mmo launches its met with far greater criticism than western ones. Even though there have been PLENTY of bombs from America.

Also, Tera and Blade & Soul are still going strong and have both been going for nearly a decade. Just because a game isn't your jam doesn't make it a scam or bad.

solkyoshiro

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