The Summer Novella Challenge

Atticus

Atticus · Jun 2, 2019

Kalyds, known to many as The Gilded City, is the definition of paradise. It is a haven away from the rest of the world, which is reeling from the Fourth World War that decimated most of the known world. Admission can only be secured with considerable power, money, influence, or a combination of all three. Thick walls, patrolled day and night by vigilant guards, ensure that nobody gets in-- or out. It is the most secure place in the world, and inside the walls nobody has responsibilities—all their needs and wants are provided for by slaves brought in from the Outside or robotic assistants.

The one downside, however, is that no one can leave. Of course, this bothers very few people. After all, who would want to leave the most technologically advanced city on earth to return to a life full of dangers, insecurities, and pain? They have all heard the horror stories of what life on the outside is like, and besides, they have everything they could ever need or want is provided for them.

Magnus Poder, however, is not satisfied with a life of instant gratification and satisfaction. He is determined to see for himself what lies on the outside, and after rallying together a ragtag crew of like-minded adventurers, they plot a daring escape that will challenge their teamwork, physical abilities, and their relationships.

Target word count: 25k words

Kalyds, known to many as The Gilded City, is the definition of paradise. It is a haven away from the rest of the world, which is reeling from the Fourth World War that decimated most of the known world. Admission can only be secured with considerable power, money, influence, or a combination of all three. Thick walls, patrolled day and night by vigilant guards, ensure that nobody gets in-- or out. It is the most secure place in the world, and inside the walls nobody has responsibilities—all their needs and wants are provided for by slaves brought in from the Outside or robotic assistants.

The one downside, however, is that no one can leave. Of course, this bothers very few people. After all, who would want to leave the most technologically advanced city on earth to return to a life full of dangers, insecurities, and pain? They have all heard the horror stories of what life on the outside is like, and besides, they have everything they could ever need or want is provided for them.

Magnus Poder, however, is not satisfied with a life of instant gratification and satisfaction. He is determined to see for himself what lies on the outside, and after rallying together a ragtag crew of like-minded adventurers, they plot a daring escape that will challenge their teamwork, physical abilities, and their relationships.

Target word count: 25k words

Atticus

Atticus · Jun 2, 2019

MAGNUS ALEXANDER PODER

EARLY LIFE:

Spoiler

- Born on May 19, 2998 to Patrick and Elizabeth Poder
- 2 older brothers (Felipe and Silvia), 1 younger sister (Lizzy)
- Large extended family
- Strict parents
- Attended all recommended education levels and excelled

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Spoiler

- Strong facial structure
- Tanned skin
- Piercing green eyes
- Long, sharp nose
- Bright, straight teeth
- Black hair, long on top and short on sides, always well-kept and styled with lots of gel
- 3-finger forehead
- Exactly 6 feet tall
- Broad shoulders, muscular build
- Approx 220 lbs
- Can bench 180
- 6-pack and V

PERSONALITY:

Spoiler

- Natural leader
- Good listener
- Determined & persistent
- Loyal
- Stubborn to a fault
- Easily discouraged
- Wants to make a difference
- Focused and goal-oriented
- Driven
- Motivated
- Seeks discomfort

ULTIMATE GOAL:

Spoiler

Magnus wants a life different from the status quo; not a life of luxury, but a life of hard work and discomfort. He pushes himself to be the best he can be, and excels in hard environments. He is not meant to waste his life and is not content in an environment where he is surrounded by people whose highest good is pleasure.

[center][b][color=blue][size=150]MAGNUS ALEXANDER PODER[/size][/center][/b][/color]

[b][size=120]EARLY LIFE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Born on May 19, 2998 to Patrick and Elizabeth Poder
- 2 older brothers (Felipe and Silvia), 1 younger sister (Lizzy)
- Large extended family
- Strict parents
- Attended all recommended education levels and excelled[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Strong facial structure
- Tanned skin
- Piercing green eyes
- Long, sharp nose
- Bright, straight teeth
- Black hair, long on top and short on sides, always well-kept and styled with lots of gel
- 3-finger forehead
- Exactly 6 feet tall
- Broad shoulders, muscular build
- Approx 220 lbs
- Can bench 180
- 6-pack and V[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]PERSONALITY:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Natural leader
- Good listener
- Determined & persistent
- Loyal
- Stubborn to a fault
- Easily discouraged
- Wants to make a difference
- Focused and goal-oriented
- Driven
- Motivated
- Seeks discomfort[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]ULTIMATE GOAL:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]Magnus wants a life different from the status quo; not a life of luxury, but a life of hard work and discomfort. He pushes himself to be the best he can be, and excels in hard environments. He is not meant to waste his life and is not content in an environment where he is surrounded by people whose highest good is pleasure.[/spoiler]

Atticus

Atticus · Jun 2, 2019

RAE BECKETT

EARLY LIFE:

Spoiler

- Born on April 24, 3005
- Born to a middle-class family
- Did not excel in school because she was bored and disliked the rigid structure
- Interested in experimenting with technology from a young age
- Dressed in masculine clothes and cut her hair short to rebel against the status quo

PHYSICAL FEATURES:

Spoiler

- Short-cropped hair that is not quite down to her shoulders; naturally a dirty blond but usually dyed a bright, excting color like red, purple, blue, pink, green, or a combination of these
- Pale, clear skin
- Wears bright red lipstick
- Dresses in tight, short, black skirts, bright shirts, usually strapless and short, brightly colored, tall heels that match her shirt, fishnet stockings, and heavy silver jewelry
- Hazel eyes
- About 5'6
- About 110 lbs
- Straight, bright, white teeth
- Slender build
- 4 finger forehead
- Pronounced cheekbones

PERSONALITY:

Spoiler

- Stubbornly independent
- Analytical
- Passionate
- Loyal
- Friendly, sociable, outgoing
- Enjoys a good party but only occassionally
- Persistent
- Queer (unlabeled but close to pansexual)

ULTIMATE GOAL:

Spoiler

Rae wants to be able to be who she is and express herself the way she wants without judgement. She wants to be able to work on something meaningful and do something rewarding that takes effort, perseverance, and time instead of living in a culture of instant gratification.

[center][color=lightgreen][size=150][b]RAE BECKETT[/b][/color][/center][/size]
[b][size=120]EARLY LIFE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Born on April 24, 3005
- Born to a middle-class family
- Did not excel in school because she was bored and disliked the rigid structure
- Interested in experimenting with technology from a young age
- Dressed in masculine clothes and cut her hair short to rebel against the status quo[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]PHYSICAL FEATURES:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]
- Short-cropped hair that is not quite down to her shoulders; naturally a dirty blond but usually dyed a bright, excting color like red, purple, blue, pink, green, or a combination of these
- Pale, clear skin
- Wears bright red lipstick
- Dresses in tight, short, black skirts, bright shirts, usually strapless and short, brightly colored, tall heels that match her shirt, fishnet stockings, and heavy silver jewelry
- Hazel eyes
- About 5'6
- About 110 lbs
- Straight, bright, white teeth
- Slender build
- 4 finger forehead
- Pronounced cheekbones [/spoiler]

[b][size=120]PERSONALITY:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]
- Stubbornly independent
- Analytical 
- Passionate
- Loyal
- Friendly, sociable, outgoing
- Enjoys a good party but only occassionally
- Persistent
- Queer (unlabeled but close to pansexual)[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]ULTIMATE GOAL:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]Rae wants to be able to be who she is and express herself the way she wants without judgement. She wants to be able to work on something meaningful and do something rewarding that takes effort, perseverance, and time instead of living in a culture of instant gratification. [/spoiler]

Atticus

Atticus · Jun 2, 2019

DAWSON GRANET

EARLY LIFE:

Spoiler

- Born on October 9, 2999
- Born to an actor and actress of notoriety
- Grew up with money readily available and accessible
- Attended prestigious schools and did well academically by cheating his way through
- Many family connections

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Spoiler

- Chubby face
- Stubbly facial hair
- About 5'6
- About 225 pounds
- Heavyset
- Beady, dark eyes set deep in his face
- Broad forehead, already has lines etched into his forehead
- Smokes cigars, drinks alcohol, and does recreational drugs
- Has diabetes that he takes medication for

PERSONALITY:

Spoiler

- Lazy
- Cheat
- Apathetic
- Frequently bored
- Wanders from place to place looking for purpose
- Secretly insecure
- Wants people to need him
- Emotionally unavailable
- Likes living the "good life", but is looking for a change and wants to be needed
- Favorite things in life are girls and hookups, unhealthy foods and drinks, and cigars
- Unconcerned about health

ULTIMATE GOAL:
[spoiler]Dawson has no particular goals in life other than to enjoy himself and satisfy himself. For that reason, it is ironic that he is leaving a place where those are the two things that are prioritized, but he is bored of the pleasures life in the Gilded City has to offer him. He wants to be part of this plan as something new and exciting, and wants to see what else life has to offer. Furthermore, his insecurity is satiated by people needing him, and he knows that he is a crucial part of this plan.

[center][size=150][color=lightgreen][b]DAWSON GRANET[/b][/color][/size][/center]
[size=120][b]EARLY LIFE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Born on October 9, 2999
- Born to an actor and actress of notoriety
- Grew up with money readily available and accessible 
- Attended prestigious schools and did well academically by cheating his way through
- Many family connections[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Chubby face
- Stubbly facial hair
- About 5'6
- About 225 pounds
- Heavyset
- Beady, dark eyes set deep in his face
- Broad forehead, already has lines etched into his forehead
- Smokes cigars, drinks alcohol, and does recreational drugs
- Has diabetes that he takes medication for[/spoiler]

[b][size=120]PERSONALITY:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Lazy
- Cheat
- Apathetic
- Frequently bored
- Wanders from place to place looking for purpose
- Secretly insecure
- Wants people to need him
- Emotionally unavailable
- Likes living the "good life", but is looking for a change and wants to be needed
- Favorite things in life are girls and hookups, unhealthy foods and drinks, and cigars
- Unconcerned about health

[b][size=120]ULTIMATE GOAL:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]Dawson has no particular goals in life other than to enjoy himself and satisfy himself. For that reason, it is ironic that he is leaving a place where those are the two things that are prioritized, but he is bored of the pleasures life in the Gilded City has to offer him. He wants to be part of this plan as something new and exciting, and wants to see what else life has to offer. Furthermore, his insecurity is satiated by people needing him, and he knows that he is a crucial part of this plan.[/spoiler]

Atticus

Atticus · Jun 2, 2019

RYAN SEAGUN

EARLY LIFE:

Spoiler

- Born on February 2nd, 3002
- Parents were towards the bottom of the social order
- Taught Ryan to work hard for what he wanted
- Parents were strict on him and expected him to work hard and not slack off from his work
- Because of this influence, Ryan excelled in school, but did not go all the way through
- Joined the military when he was 19, the legal age
- More horrified by the behavior of Kalydsian soldiers towards innocent people in the Outside World
- Decided he had to make a difference; connected with Braxton

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Spoiler

- Hair cut close to his scalp in a typical military cut
- Bulging muscles and 8-pack
- Keeps himself in excellent physical shape
- Can run a sub-5 minute mile and do 20 consecutive chin-ups
- Strong jawline
- Clean-shaven
- Deep blue eyes
- Broad, strong shoulders
- 3-finger forehead
- Dazzling, white, crooked smile
- Stands about 6'4
- Weighs about 320 lbs
- Broad chest
- Strong, powerful, intimidating figure

PERSONALITY:

Spoiler

- Determined and driven
- Soft-hearted
- Passionate about justice and people being treated well
- Believes he can and will make a difference
- Willing to work hard to achieve his goal
- Quiet
- Dominating figure in a room
- Quick thinker
- Responds well under pressure

ULTIMATE GOAL:

Spoiler

Ryan wants to live in a world where everyone is treated with basic respect, decency, and courtesy. If he cannot reshape his current world to be like that, he will upend his world so that it's possible. He harbors a lot of anger against the Kalydsian military for the horrors they inflicted on innocent people, and he wants to make the world a better place and live in a society where people are honored, valued, and respected.

[center][color=lightgreen][size=150][b]RYAN SEAGUN[/b][/color][/size][/center]

[size=120][b]EARLY LIFE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Born on February 2nd, 3002
- Parents were towards the bottom of the social order
- Taught Ryan to work hard for what he wanted
- Parents were strict on him and expected him to work hard and not slack off from his work
- Because of this influence, Ryan excelled in school, but did not go all the way through
- Joined the military when he was 19, the legal age
- More horrified by the behavior of Kalydsian soldiers towards innocent people in the Outside World
- Decided he had to make a difference; connected with Braxton[/spoiler]

[size=120][b]PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Hair cut close to his scalp in a typical military cut
- Bulging muscles and 8-pack
- Keeps himself in excellent physical shape 
- Can run a sub-5 minute mile and do 20 consecutive chin-ups
- Strong jawline
- Clean-shaven
- Deep blue eyes
- Broad, strong shoulders
- 3-finger forehead
- Dazzling, white, crooked smile
- Stands about 6'4
- Weighs about 320 lbs
- Broad chest
- Strong, powerful, intimidating figure[/spoiler]

[size=120][b]PERSONALITY:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Determined and driven
- Soft-hearted
- Passionate about justice and people being treated well
- Believes he can and will make a difference
- Willing to work hard to achieve his goal
- Quiet 
- Dominating figure in a room
- Quick thinker
- Responds well under pressure[/spoiler]

[size=120][b]ULTIMATE GOAL:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]Ryan wants to live in a world where everyone is treated with basic respect, decency, and courtesy. If he cannot reshape his current world to be like that, he will upend his world so that it's possible. He harbors a lot of anger against the Kalydsian military for the horrors they inflicted on innocent people, and he wants to make the world a better place and live in a society where people are honored, valued, and respected.[/spoiler]

Atticus

Atticus · Jun 2, 2019

BRAXTON LEE

EARLY LIFE:

Spoiler

- Born on April 24, 3000
- Parents were fairly wealthy and connected
- Excelled in scholastic program and participated in several puzzle-related extracurriculars
- Developed a knack for and skill at puzzles
- Didn't feel appropriately challenged in the Gilded City
- Always wanted to find something more challenging but never succeeded

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Spoiler

- Hair cut in the latest fashion and held in place with insane amounts of expensive gel
- Always well-kept; dresses in expensive, fashionable, stylish, and dressy clothes
- Has a naturally muscular body type
- Broad shoulders and chest
- About 5'10
- About 220 lbs
- Dark skin (Indian)
- Well-kept beard
- Almond-colored eyes
- Strong facial features
- Thick, dark eyebrows
- Conventionally attractive
- Confident posture

PERSONALITY:

Spoiler

- Quick intellect
- Incredibly smart
- Visual learner - needs to spread visuals out in his workspace to piece together ideas
- Quick-witted
- Presents a casual and joking exterior to the world, but internally is very serious, driven, and smart
- Feels misunderstood by most people because they aren't as intelligent as he is
- Too intelligent to make a run for it without a strong plan and a back-up plan
- Tends to follow the leader rather than take initiative
- Generally distrusts people unless they show him repeatedly that they are on his side
- Lonely; feels misunderstood

ULTIMATE GOAL:

Spoiler

Braxton wants to be somewhere where his intelligence is challenged and he needs to work hard and creatively alongside people who understand him to find solutions. He is not challenged in the Gilded City, and so he is desperate to find a way to escape this environment and cultivate a new one in which he can grow and flourish.

[center][size=150][color=lightgreen][b]BRAXTON LEE[/b][/color][/size][/center]
 
[size=120][b]EARLY LIFE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Born on April 24, 3000
- Parents were fairly wealthy and connected
- Excelled in scholastic program and participated in several puzzle-related extracurriculars
- Developed a knack for and skill at puzzles
- Didn't feel appropriately challenged in the Gilded City
- Always wanted to find something more challenging but never succeeded[/spoiler]
 
[size=120][b]PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Hair cut in the latest fashion and held in place with insane amounts of expensive gel
- Always well-kept; dresses in expensive, fashionable, stylish, and dressy clothes
- Has a naturally muscular body type 
- Broad shoulders and chest
- About 5'10
- About 220 lbs
- Dark skin (Indian)
- Well-kept beard
- Almond-colored eyes
- Strong facial features
- Thick, dark eyebrows
- Conventionally attractive
- Confident posture[/spoiler]
 
[size=120][b]PERSONALITY:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]- Quick intellect
- Incredibly smart 
- Visual learner - needs to spread visuals out in his workspace to piece together ideas
- Quick-witted
- Presents a casual and joking exterior to the world, but internally is very serious, driven, and smart
- Feels misunderstood by most people because they aren't as intelligent as he is
- Too intelligent to make a run for it without a strong plan and a back-up plan
- Tends to follow the leader rather than take initiative
- Generally distrusts people unless they show him repeatedly that they are on his side
- Lonely; feels misunderstood[/spoiler]

[size=120][b]ULTIMATE GOAL:[/b][/size]
[spoiler]Braxton wants to be somewhere where his intelligence is challenged and he needs to work hard and creatively alongside people who understand him to find solutions. He is not challenged in the Gilded City, and so he is desperate to find a way to escape this environment and cultivate a new one in which he can grow and flourish.[/spoiler]

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