Young Writers Society

Here are links to the SB and to the Advert

And here is what everyone needs to know:

Races

Elves: A proud race, they have long lived in Nirjia. Their common physical characteristics are different depending on their birth Nation: In the cold North (in Nirjia), Elves commonly have pale white skin, light blue or grey eyes (and other light colours). In the warmer South (in another Elven-Human Nation, Kuzil), Elves commonly have light or slightly darker green skin, and brown or dark grey eyes (and other darker colours). Due to having a faster metabolism than Humans, elves are generally lither than humans, and are also often taller. Their average lifespan is 130 years.

Magic Users: Mages and Witches

Ages ago, all Elves could perform magic, but this trait has become dormant in more recent generations; now only 1 in every 20 Elven children are able to perform magic starting from puberty. These remaining Elven magic users normally seclude themselves from the normal Elven society, fearing that mixing with the non-magic users would disrupt the growth of their magic ability. The Northern Mage (males) and Witch (females) Elves live in a city to the East of Adiel, Zurin. They only come out of their city to trade with Adielian merchants, or to travel to different cities to take Elven children who have recently been discovered as magic users back to their city (whether or not by the will of the child).

However, there are some Elven magic users who were able to hide their talents, and who still live in Adiel and elsewhere undiscovered by the Zurinians. And some young Zurinians still long for their families outside Zurin. (A possible way for your character to search for the Ruby if they are Zurinian: they might escape from Zurin and join the party so that they may leave the area of Adiel in safety and travel to their former homes…just a thought. Or they may want a life of adventure which they can’t get in Zurin…again, just a thought. Or they could simply be an undiscovered magic user in Adiel or something.)

Attributes/ Strengths/ Advantages of Being an Elf

Elves are stronger in magic than humans, and are more agile than them. They are also able to use energy-based magic, or Aura magic (Push Magic—telekinesis, Shift Magic—teleporting, Scribing—mind reading). Because their original home is Nirjia, the majority of the Nirjian population is Elven. Elves are strongest in magic, and they are best as archers or rogues/thieves.

Flaws/ Weaknesses/ Disadvantages of Being an Elf

Elves are physically weaker than humans and do not make good warriors. And although they are stronger in magic, their elemental ability is limited to a single element. Elves are also only able to use magic once they reach puberty, and it takes them 20 years of training to master Aura magic (so you shouldn’t expect your character to be using any Aura magic without disastrous consequences, not unless they are in their thirties).

Humans: A tough race, their original home was a land called Gesta. But upon the discovery of Nirjia, they began to migrate there to the extent that centuries later, at least 45% of the Nirjian population is Human. Their average lifespan is 80 years.

Originally a race completely lacking any magic, Humans mysteriously began to bear magic-gifted children soon after migrating to Nirjia. This began around the same time Elves began to lose their magic abilities; some tension arose between the races because of this. This tension only grew when three centuries later a small group of Humans in Adiel attempted to overthrow King Zoran, and lost, executed by hanging as a result. Shortly after, the King travelled to Gesta, where the Human King Oridus gave him the Ruby as compensation for the attack. This angered most of the Human population in Nirjia, and it only served to heighten tensions further when the Ruby was stolen three years later.

Magic Users: Sorcerers and Sorceresses

Although they were originally not a magic-gifted race, some Nirjian Humans have been able to use magic since their migration to Nirjia, although the chances of a Human being magic-gifted is 1 in 15. Unlike the Elven Magic Users, they do not seclude themselves and live in normal cities, often working as Healers (Humans with strong elemental magic in Earth are able to identify different herbs and plants, their different properties, and make various concoctions with them) or Sorcerers/ Sorceresses in the Nirjian Army after training in Magic Academies. Some don’t use their magic at all.
 
Attributes/ Strengths/ Advantages of Being a Human

Humans are physically stronger than Elves, and excel in the Warrior class and swordsmanship. Though they are weaker in magic than Elves, they are able to use all four elements. There’s also a one in five chance that Humans will be able to use magic from their childhood (five years or so) instead of waiting until puberty like all Elves.

Flaws/ Weaknesses/ Disadvantages of Being a Human

Humans are weaker in magic than elves. They are also unable to perform Aura magic despite extensive training. Because of long-existing tension between Elves and Humans, Humans are often treated as second-class citizens in Nirjia.

Zanam: A race of outcasts. Zanam are the children of Humans and Elves, a union long been frowned upon. If such a child is born, they are allowed to live in normal cities until the age of 15, upon which they are cast out of their birth cities. Because of this, villages of Zanam have sprung up miles from cities, where the strange race lives in peace. And although King Dauki recently overturned the law casting them out of cities nationwide, very few Zanam have returned. Most of the returners are those recently cast out and returning is mostly frowned upon by the Zanam communities. Even in the cities, Zanam are treated like scum by most all except their families.

Zanam take after either of their parents, i.e. they might look either Human or Elven. But a distinctive characteristic is their ears, which are always notched at the bottom. Their average lifespan is 70 years.

Zanam Magic Users

Zanam are a curious race in that they can rarely control their magic. Their magic is a random occurrence, often it might appear in stressful circumstances (a scared Zanam child might start a hurricane, etc.). However, Zanam magic doesn’t appear to be limited in the same way as Elven and Human magic, and is far more powerful than both.

Attributes/ Strengths/ Advantages of Being a Zanam

Their magic (both elemental and Aura) is far more powerful than both Elven and Human magic, and they can potentially use magic from birth. They are as physically powerful as Humans, and make skilled Warriors because of the added attribute of Elven agility.

Flaws/ Weaknesses/ Disadvantages of Being a Zanam

Although their magic is more powerful and without restraint, Zanam cannot intentionally use magic. Most times, they use magic accidentally as a result of severe stress or extreme pain. In moments of extreme calm, they may also use it to perform incredible feats of magic (healing the seriously wounded, re-growing an entire forest from a single seed, etc.). But this is very rare.

Zanam are social outcasts, and so almost the entire Human and Elven populations of Nirjia will treat them as such. Only fellow Zanam, and Humans and Elves who wish to look past the history of the two races, might treat them with any kindness.

The Ruby of Zoran

A gift to the old King Zoran by a Human King after a failed assassination attempt by Nirjian Humans, the story revolves around the Ruby. None have seen it in 107 years, but the tales and portraits of King Zoran whilst he still had it suggest that it was extremely beautiful. The most common and believed tales about it include: that whoever owned it would become prosperous and happy, and that it healed all illnesses. Since its disappearance, it has also carried a 50,000 gold piece reward for its safe return. That’s plenty of motivation for most to search for it now that fresh clues have turned up.

The Rules of Magic

There are six rules which govern the use of magic in this SB World, and for the sake of smooth Storybooking please adhere to them.

1. You cannot give out more energy/ Aura than you have within yourself. It takes energy to use all magic, including the elements. Depending on training, Humans and Elves have different energy levels or Aura levels in their own bodies, and once this energy is depleted it can take some time (a few minutes to hours and even days) for the energy to restore itself (this normally happens because the body automatically absorbs unattached energy from its surroundings, or it can happen through drinking certain concoctions or absorbing the energy of an energy amulet). Performing great feats of magic takes lots of energy, and you cannot perform a great feat of magic if you don’t have a high enough Aura level (e.g. an Elf child who has just hit puberty won’t have a high Aura level, if they attempted to set a whole building on fire and keep the blaze going for five minutes, they’d probably pass out at around 45 seconds. A human would probably pass out in 15). It’s like real life; you can’t lift a weight if you don’t have the stamina. You can train and gradually acquire the stamina, and then when you have enough you will be able to lift the weight. If a character tried to perform a feat that was more than they could handle, they could either pass out or die depending on the enormity of said feat. You must use your common sense in handling this rule.

2. Magic Users must train for years to acquire a high Aura level, or else they must use items charged with energy. Your character isn’t going to acquire their max Aura level overnight. It takes at least 10 years of training for a Human to acquire their maximum Aura, and 20 for an Elf. Or if they are younger, they might use energy amulets or other energy-charged items, but when used the energy from these items will be drained and eventually finished. It takes at least an Elf with four years of training to charge items with energy.

3. A possible side-effect to the use of more energy than you have Aura is losing your magic. This usually only happens if the magic is a combination of two or more different elements, or if an energy amulet is used and a Magic User attempts to draw more energy from it than it contains. Be wary of this.

4. If an Elven character is not magic-gifted, they might still use energy-based magic by using items charged with energy-based magic. If an experienced Elf charges an item with Push Magic, anybody wielding that item (whether it is a weapon or if it is an accessory) will be able to move objects without physically touching them (although there are some rules; read below). The same goes for Shift Magic but not Scribing. Zanam may also use these items, but Humans can only use them as an energy source; they still cannot use Aura magic.

5. Aura magic. This is sort of Star Wars-esque. Push Magic is telekinesis (i.e. moving objects without physically touching them), Shift Magic is teleporting (i.e. moving from one place to another without physically covering the distance) and Scribing is mind-reading (reading the thoughts of another and also projecting your own thoughts into their mind). Push Magic and Shift Magic require Aura, and so follow the rules of elemental magic (with the limits and Aura levels and everything). Scribing doesn’t require energy, however. But it takes 20 years to master, otherwise all one would be able to read would be snatches of a person’s most immediate thoughts. Also, all three of these can be blocked. An Elf with mastery over them can prevent another from using any of these abilities, and in so doing the two will enter a Power Struggle. Basically, the two are expelling energy and these energy forces will clash. Their Aura level depletes until someone gives up, or someone’s Aura finishes first, upon which he loses the Power Struggle and is now in a weakened state.

6. Elemental magic. There are four elements: Earth—which is the ability to control rock, the ground and with more experience some plant life, Water—the ability to control water bodies and ice, Air—the ability to manipulate the air around you, and Fire—the ability to make and manipulate fire. And no, there is no lightning.

All the elements require Aura and follow rules 1,2 and 3. Unlike energy-based magic, it cannot be put into an item, and a more powerful user cannot stop your character from using it.

N.B. These rules do not apply to Zanam. Zanam, in the course of accidentally using their magic, somehow create excess energy to use. This is a phenomenon that hasn’t been explained, and which only applies to their magic-using, not to physical exertion.

Terms

Aura: The amount of energy present in someone’s body. It can be built up, then you have a high Aura level.

Elves: The dominant race in Nirjia.

Humans: The second largest race in Nirjia, they originated in Gesta.

Zanams: Hybrid children of Elves and Humans.

Aura Magic: The manipulation of energy to perform certain skills.

Elemental Magic: The manipulation of the elements through energy.

Name: Isleen Maya Amets (Note that she hates nicknames. Isleen is fine as far as she's concerned.)

Age: 19, almost 20

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Magic User or Non-Magic User: Non-magic
-Which weapon do they prefer to use: Bow and Arrow

Appearance: Isleen has long black hair and dark, sooty-grey eyes. She's fairly slender, and is over-all a petite, breakable-looking girl. There always seems to be the faintest outline of a smile on her face-- or some say it's more of a "quiet" smirk. She often clasps her hands behind her back while walking, and seems to gaze at everything. Her eyes never stay focused on one place for very long.


Personality: Isleen is a very quiet, seemingly timid, person. She rarely ever speaks, even if spoken to first. Her replies normally consist of nods, shrugs, head-shakes and so on. There have been people who have mistaken her for a mute, and she has left them to wonder. Otherwise, (especially if she's around figures of authority) she is very respectful, even if she doesn't say much. If you do manage to draw her into a conversation, she comes off as a very dreamy, incredibly observant girl. She admires everything she can, and likes to look at the small bits of life. There's not much she doesn't find absolutely fascinating, including human beings. (Though she tends to avoid too much contact) She doesn't hate the Elven folk, nor the Zanam. Of course, she isn't easy around these two races, and is even less likely to converse with them. More or less because she doesn't know how. She rarely sleeps, choosing to stay up late at night think and wonder. She's always plotting or thinking very deeply about something, and hates when her thoughts are interupted. She is very, very easily distracted, and tends to disappear without warning. (In other words, she's easily lost)

Likes: Admiring, drawing, writing, poetry, music, leaves, plants and nature in general, adventure, being alone, the sound of running water, star-gazing, the moon, mist and rain and thunderstorms, sparkly rocks, people who are willing to give her space, day-dreaming, scheming, people who can catch her attention and lure her into conversation. (She tends to muse at how they managed to nab her mind in the first place)

Dislikes: Pushy people, people who talk too much, people who seem to think that everything in life is negative, clingy people... human/elven/zanam interaction in general is something that irritates her. (Unless, of course, she finds something about you particularly interesting) She absolutely despises enclosed spaces and total darkness.

History: There isn't much to Isleen's history. She has never been able to stay in one place for long, and has been travelling for as long as she can remember. Her mother and father are both dead, thanks to an unknown disease that nabbed them both when she was around six. Her mother's brother and his wife took Isleen into family, as her aunt was unable to have children.

Isleen and her uncle were very, very close. Everywhere Uncle Zarrian went, Isleen followed. Zarrian was a very, very skilled archer, and taught Isleen everything he knew. Over the years, Isleen has continued to practice and perfect the art of archery. As of age 16, it was a very rare thing to see her miss her target. Every spare moment was spent out anywhere that provided good practice for herself and her uncle.

Though she was very close to Zarrian, Isleen was not so close to her aunt, and their constant moving, and the fact that she isolated herself to practice her archery, kept her from making friends or forming any close relationships. If Isleen wasn't practicing with a bow and arrow, she was busy walking, drawing and admiring.

Reason they decide to join the quest: Very recently, Uncle Zarrian has been weakening quickly. His finances are running low, and his wife is worrying non-stop for her husband and niece. After Zarrian collapsed, unconscious very recently, Auntie Hilania decided it would be wise to send Isleen off to find money. Only Hilania knows what's wrong with her husband, and hasn't told even Isleen. She bid Isleen fairwell, and told her that the reward for finding the Ruby was essential for Zarrian's recovery.

Up for love: I suppose, but she won't make it easy for you.

Other: She draws anything she finds exceptionally unique. She also suffers from migranes, though she's gotten used to this and is good at hiding them-- assuming they don't get too bad.
She was late for the meeting--quite late, actually--, as she didn't expect to go until it was almost too late. Her auntie is letting her use Zarrian's horse, a beautiful black mare named Illuna.