WorldAnvil costs $100/year for features that should be free. Fandom drowns your wiki in ads. We're building something better—and it's coming to Nova soon.
Nexus is part of Nova. One account, one ecosystem, universal access. If
you already have a Nova account, you'll have access to Nexus when it launches.
All purchases and subscriptions work across both platforms.
The Problem: Worldbuilding Tools Are Broken
You're building a fantasy world. Characters, locations, magic systems, historical events—all interconnected in ways that make sense to you but are impossible to capture in existing tools.
What's wrong with current wikis?
WorldAnvil
Overwhelming UI with 47 different "template types"
Expensive ($50-100/year for basic features)
Sluggish editor that fights you on formatting
Relationship maps that look like spaghetti
Fandom
Ad hell (autoplay videos, popups, tracking)
Mediawiki syntax from 2004
You don't own your content (Fandom does)
Zero integration with your actual writing
Notion
Great for notes, terrible for interconnected lore
No version control for collaborative worldbuilding
Backlinking is weak (just mentions, no semantic relationships)
Not designed for fiction
What you actually need:
Fast, elegant interface that gets out of your way
Semantic relationships between entries (not just dumb links)
Version control so you can experiment without fear
Integration with your story (wiki → chapters, seamless)
Free tier that doesn't feel like a trial
Nexus: Worldbuilding That Makes Sense
Nexus is a wiki platform built specifically for fiction writers. No ads, no bloat, no compromise.
Three core concepts:
1. Constellations
Your universes. Each Constellation is a self-contained wiki—a story world, a fanfic universe, a homebrew D&D setting. Public or private. You choose.
2. Atoms
Individual entries in your Constellation. Characters, locations, magic systems, historical events—anything that needs its own page.
3. Strands
The connections between everything. Not just "Character A knows Character B"—semantic links with context.
Mara Vex --[rival since Chapter 12]--> Kai Soren
Crimson Citadel --[contains]--> Throne Room
Battle of Cinders --[caused]--> Fall of Kings
Every Strand carries meaning. You can query them, visualize them, and let readers explore your world the way you see it.
What Makes Nexus Different
Version Control for Lore
Most wikis let you edit entries. Cool. But what happens when you realize that major plot point doesn't work anymore?
Nexus has git-style versioning:
Every edit creates a new version
Add commit messages ("Updated Mara's backstory to match Chapter 15 reveal")
Roll back to any previous state
See exactly what changed between versions
Why this matters:
You can experiment fearlessly. Rewrite a character's motivation. Change how the magic system works. If it doesn't work, revert. No "undo" panic, no manual backup copies.
For collaborative wikis: Version control prevents the "who broke this
entry?" problem. You can see who changed what, when, and why.
Semantic Linking (Strands)
Traditional wikis have hyperlinks. Nexus has Strands—relationships with metadata.
Visualizing the difference:
Example: Character relationships
Instead of:
"Mara is rivals with Kai." [link]
You create a Strand:
1{2"from":"Mara Vex",3"to":"Kai Soren",4"type":"rival",5"metadata":{6"intensity":8,7"since":"Chapter 12: The Betrayal",8"status":"active",9"notes":"Former allies before the Cinder incident"10}11}
Then you can query:
"Show me all of Mara's rivals"
"What relationships changed in Act 2?"
"Find characters with unresolved conflicts"
Example: Location hierarchies
Crimson Empire --[contains]--> Crimson Citadel
Crimson Citadel --[contains]--> Throne Room
Throne Room --[scene of]--> The King's Death
Now readers can navigate: Empire → Citadel → Room → Event. Your world's structure becomes explorable.
Example: Event causality
Mara's Betrayal --[led to]--> Battle of Cinders
Battle of Cinders --[caused]--> Fall of Kings
Fall of Kings --[resulted in]--> The Long Night
Readers can trace cause and effect through your timeline. Teachers can diagram plot structure. GMs can see how campaign events connect.
Two Editing Modes
Not everyone thinks the same way.
Simplified Mode (For Most People)
Clean, Notion-style block editor:
Drag blocks to reorder
Type / to add images, headings, lists
@mention to link other entries
WYSIWYG—what you see is what readers see
Perfect for: Authors who want to build lore without learning syntax.
Advanced Mode (For Power Users)
MDX with custom components:
1# Character: Mara Vex23<CharacterSheet
4age={24}
5faction="Crimson Order"
6abilities={["Shadow Step", "Blood Magic"]}
7/>
89<Relationshiptarget="@kai-soren"type="rival">10 Former allies turned enemies after the Betrayal at Cinder's Gate.
11</Relationship>1213<Timeline>14<Eventyear={1024}>Born in the Outer Reaches</Event>15<Eventyear={1048}>16 Joins <Linkto="crimson-order">Crimson Order</Link>17</Event>18</Timeline>
Why MDX?
Markdown for prose (familiar, portable)
React components for structure (character sheets, timelines, relationship graphs)
Full control over layout
Easy to version control (it's just text)
Perfect for: Developers, technical writers, authors who want maximum control.
Coming soon: React sandbox mode for fully custom interactive components.
Build stat calculators, relationship visualizers, procedural
generators—whatever your world needs.
Design That Doesn't Insult You
Most wikis look like they were designed by engineers who hate design.
Nexus borrows NOVA's aesthetic:
Dark mode by default (easy on the eyes during long worldbuilding sessions)
Orange/gold accents (warm, inviting, not corporate blue)
Fast page loads (sub-2s on most connections)
No ads, ever
Mobile-responsive (build your wiki on the subway)
Compare:
Feature
Nexus
WorldAnvil
Fandom
Page load
< 2s
~5s
~8s (ads)
Editor lag
None
Noticeable
Painful
Ads
Zero
Zero (paid)
Everywhere
Mobile UX
Native
Clunky
Terrible
Dark mode
Default
Paid feature
N/A
What You Can Build
For Original Fiction
Epic fantasy wiki:
Constellations for each kingdom/faction
Atoms for characters, locations, magic rules
Strands linking prophecies to events, bloodlines to politics
Timeline showing centuries of history
Sci-fi universe:
Constellations for star systems
Atoms for alien species, technology, factions
Strands showing trade routes, political alliances, tech dependencies
Noir detective series:
Atoms for cases, suspects, evidence
Strands connecting clues, relationships, alibis
Timeline of case progression
For Fanfiction
HP alternate universe:
Constellation for your divergent timeline
Atoms for canon-divergent characters
Strands showing "in this AU, X led to Y instead of Z"
Link wiki entries to your fanfic chapters on NOVA
MCU what-if scenarios:
Atoms for altered events ("What if Tony Stark died in Avengers 1?")
Strands cascading through all affected characters/events
Timeline comparing canon vs AU
For Tabletop RPGs
Homebrew D&D campaign:
Constellation for your world
Atoms for NPCs, locations, factions, homebrew items/spells
Strands for faction relationships, quest chains, NPC connections
Share with players (public) or keep DM notes private
Vampire: The Masquerade chronicle:
Atoms for coterie members, NPCs, locations
Strands for vampire politics, blood bonds, alliances
Timeline of chronicle events
For Personal Projects
Family history:
Atoms for family members, locations, historical events
Strands for relationships, migrations, occupations
Timeline spanning generations
Research/study notes:
Atoms for concepts, sources, arguments
Strands linking ideas, causality, critiques
Version control for evolving understanding
Pricing: Nexus Is Included in Your Nova Subscription
The best part? Nexus isn't a separate subscription. It's part of Nova's unified platform.
Free Tier (Forever - $0/month)
For Writers:
Publish up to 3 active works on Nova
3 Constellations (Nexus wikis)
Unlimited Atoms (wiki entries) per Constellation
Unlimited Strands (semantic links)
Version history (last 50 versions)
Public or private wikis
Simplified + MDX editing modes
1GB asset storage (images, docs)
Basic analytics (views, engagement)
Honestly? Most hobbyist writers and worldbuilders won't need more than this.
Supernova Author ($14.99/month)
For Serious Writers:
Everything in Free, plus:
Unlimited works on Nova
Unlimited Constellations in Nexus
Unlimited branches and commits (version control)
Version history (unlimited, full git-style control)
10GB asset storage across Nova + Nexus
350 monthly Nebulae (for tipping other authors)
Advanced analytics (which entries are most viewed/linked, retention metrics)
Priority support
Collaboration features (co-authors, permissions)
Priority visibility in Nova's discovery algorithm
Custom domain for Nexus wikis (coming soon)
Export works in multiple formats (EPUB, PDF for Nova; Markdown/JSON for Nexus)
Why $14.99? You're getting multiple platforms: a professional story writing environment with git-like branching AND a comprehensive wiki system. Other platforms charge this much for just one of these features.
Nueva Estrella ($17.99/month)
For Writer-Readers:
All Supernova Author benefits
All Supernova Reader benefits (unlimited reading lists, custom themes)
600 monthly Nebulae (more currency to support other creators)
Unified dashboard for reading, writing, and wiki analytics
Cross-platform profile boost
Early access to Wave 2 educational tools
Early testing access for Wave 3 semantic AI assistance
Community voting rights for curation
React sandbox mode in Nexus (fully custom components)
Why $17.99? It's cheaper than Supernova Reader ($4.99) + Supernova Author ($14.99) = $19.98 separately. You save $2/month AND get exclusive crossover features that work across Nova and Nexus.
Universal Integration: Your subscription tier applies to BOTH Nova (story
writing) and Nexus (wikis). One account, one payment, two powerful platforms.
Link wiki entries directly to your story chapters. Use the same Nebulae
currency across both platforms. Your analytics show how readers move between
your stories and your worldbuilding.
The Roadmap: What's Coming
Nexus is launching in phases. Here's what to expect:
Community wikis (collaborative worldbuilding with moderation)
Wiki marketplace (sell world guides, D&D campaign settings, lore books)
Beta testers wanted! If you want early access to Nexus features before
public launch, email us at
community@novusatlas.org. We're looking for
writers actively worldbuilding for feedback and iteration.
Why We Built Nexus (and Why It's Part of Nova)
The problem we're solving:
Writers needed more than just a story editor. They needed a place to build the world before writing the story. Existing wikis for worldbuilding (WorldAnvil, Fandom, Notion) are all disconnected from where you actually write.
The solution: One unified ecosystem.
Design philosophy:
Every pixel serves a purpose. No decorative bloat, no business-document features, no distractions.
Writers deserve tools as good as developers get. Version control isn't just for code. Semantic linking isn't just for knowledge graphs.
Free should mean free. Not "free trial" or "free but useless." Free means you can build real wikis and publish real stories without paying.
Everything should connect. Your worldbuilding informs your story. Your story references your lore. Readers should be able to explore both seamlessly. One platform makes this possible.
The vision:
Write a chapter mentioning "The Battle of Cinders"
Link it to the corresponding Nexus entry
Readers click the link and explore the event's wiki page
They see related characters, locations, and consequences through Strands
They return to the story with deeper context
One platform. One account. One universe.
Get Ready for Nexus
Nexus is launching soon as part of the Nova platform.
Questions?community@novusatlas.org Want early access? Reach out to us—we're onboarding beta testers soon. Open source contributions: Parts of Nexus (graph visualization, MDX components) will be open-sourced post-launch. Stay tuned.