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Young Writers Society


Shattered Crowns



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19 Reviews



Gender: Male
Points: 14
Reviews: 19
Thu Dec 29, 2016 9:38 pm
CarryOnMrCaulfield says...



Men have said that the last fifty years have been among the most peaceful that History has ever seen. Wars have been few and crime throughout all the kingdoms of the world have been at an all-time low. While conflicts against the Ora'keth of the Orient, Sarecs of the Middlands, Noorkings of the North, and the civil war between the Magi have all since affected the stability of the kingdoms of Caenterin, the Alliance has always been there to intervene. But times change, and peace is not a right; it is a privilege.

The coming chaos seems to be driven by two specific factors: the emperor's death and the tide of terror in the East. While the death of the leader of the Occidental World has saddened many, the man was old. Emperor's can be replaced but lands not so easily mended. The aftermath of the emperor's death has proved how greedy the leaders within Caenterin's independent nations can truly be when a power vacuum that large exists. The promise of power can corrupt even the most virtuous of men, but there is one who is not so easily seduced.

Prince Wylfred of House Windstorm, the eldest grandson of Queen Lisbet of Albion, has always been loyal to both his country and family, but has recently grown conflicted as a result of his being selected to represent Albion in the Alliance's capital of Paletine, deep in the South, to secure a bid for emperor. With no desire to occupy such a massive position, but even more of a desire to not let his family down, Wylfred, along with his independent-minded wife Katrice and young son Gregor, travels South in order to fulfill his duty. Katrice herself is not pleased by the prospect. She has heard of the political brutality in the South, knowing that it is nothing like the civility of politics back home in Albion. Her reservations are made clear to Wylfred, but she supports him nonetheless. Also accompanying them is Sally Helms, the sixteen-year-old nanny of Prince Gregor. Intelligent and independent, Sally's devotion to House Windstorm comes only from her unconditional love for Gregor and a desire to bring her family wealth. But when she is implicated in the murder of one of the Imperial candidates, Sally must abandon everything that she has ever known and has ever loved and flee to the last place she would ever dream of going to. Now, as fellow representatives from the various nations begin turning up dead, Wylfred, who suspects that one of his peers is behind the killings, takes it upon himself to investigate.

As tensions rise in regards to Caenterin's overall political climate, the kings begin to turn their heads east, where thousands of displaced transients from the Middle Eastern countries of the Bara, deep within Saerkland, begin flooding into their lands following a series of coups carried out by a mysterious and radical paramilitary junta. In response to the closing of Caenterian borders, the refugees unite under a single banner, rallying under a man known only as the People's Sultan, who, instead of overseeing a peaceful immigration through continental borders, has armed the transients, intending to take the Western World by storm. In response to this desperate act of aggression, the Lyght of the West, head of the Apostolic Faith, dispatches his only son, Matthias of the Gilded Hand, to lead an expedition of paladins beyond the Eastern Approach to not only put an end to the threat of the militant refugees, but also learn more about the mysterious organization that has since driven them to invade Caenterin. Driven to the brink of madness, Matthias journeys deep into the Orient to find out what has caused the Sarecs to flee their land, and deep in the blighted wilds he discovers a threat greater than any he could have ever imagined - one with the power to engulf all of Caenterin, making the disputes between the kings of the land appear petty in comparison.

One such king is Ronin Siefried of the mountain kingdom of Albus, who has since had heavy reparations placed upon his feudalistic kingdom following a doomed campaign against the kingdoms of Copenisle and Boraelgrasp. As ensurence that they will not be attacked again, the parliament of Copenisle has requested that Albus sends a boy of noble birth to serve as King Aogar Mauresonn's hostage. Much to a mixture of both chagrin and uncanny relief, the cynical and savvy seventeen-year-old Jaycen of House Black has been selected by the feeble King Ronin to serve the requested hostage, but not before being granted the coundom of Burgundia in exchange for his loyalty, which was proven after his unintentional participation in the massacre of House Burgundy, of which the paranoid king believed to have been planning a rebellion against him. With the guidance of the mysterious councilor and former magi Kremen, the young man rethinks his life, with the intent of changing for the better in order to accept the path that lies before him in life. Jaycen is shocked and relieved by King Aogar Mauresonn's hospitality and soon gains his new liege's trust. The king takes the young man under his wing, sponsoring his continued education and having him serve as his shadow in day to day activities. While there, Jaycen develops a strange fascination with the king's eldest daughter, which develops into almost an obsession. The child unsettling, even disturbing, him greatly, Jaycen investigates the nature of a mysterious affliction that she has, which leads to him developing an interest in the dark history of the Royal Family. With the help of Sally Helms, now incognito after escaping Paletine, Jaycen looks deeper and deeper into the history of House Maur, and with each day comes closer to discovering their darkest kept secret.

But the world can still not escape from the fallout of the political turmoil that boils throughout Caenterin. In the northern kingdom of Boraelgrasp, King Stewart of House Fortman balances ruling a divided nation and raising his six children. While greatly beloved by his people, Stewart is envied by two very different people: Arl Granning, a scheming vassal who's family had always been at odds with his, and Daegar, his own brother. When asked to serve as Boraelgrasp's representitive for the Imperial candidacy, Stewart refuses, appointing Daegar instead, who heads South, accompanied by three of the Fortman children. Just like Wylfred, Daegar must learn to navigate the ruthless political climate of Paletine to secure his own bid for emperor, and step out of his brother's shadow once and for all.

Tensions continue to rise in the North as well. Not only does House Granning seek to usurp the throne of House Fortman, but the Dale, a bordering nation that stands apart from the Alliance, has become more aggressive. Knowing that war may soon be at hand in the North, Stewart separates his two children: the thirteen-year-old twins Jakob and Helena, who have been best friends since birth. After sending the feisty Helena to dwell with an old friend of his in a southern region of the country, Stewart, taking Jakob with him, travels deep into the heart of the Dale to meet with its ruthless leader in an effort to prevent an all-out war between their countries. After an assassination attempt, Stewart and Jakob are forced to escape, only to find that the Grannings have mounted a full-scale uprising against the crown once they arrive back home. Finally realizing that his son is growing up, Stewart takes Jakob under his wing, hoping to mold him into both a strong and virtuous warrior all the while he leads the campaign to crush the Grannings' revolt. Not pleased with her new arrangement, Helena escapes her new home, only to find Boraelgrasp in the middle of a bloody civil war. Throughout it all, Jakob remains vigilant, using his newfound life experiences to grow into the man that he was destined to become.

Not only does the political climate grow hotter, but war continues against the Refugee Armies on the Caenterin Border. Fifteen-year-old Alistair Greywind of Albus, cousin to Jaycen Black, has opted to join the ancient Order of the Wards, dedicated to bringing peace to the lands. Although initially reluctant, Alistair is forced to undergo a series of brutal trials to test his loyalty, bravery, and vigilance. Although a new initiate, Alistair prepares to face his greatest foe yet, at the crossroad of East and West, where the armies of Caenterin amass to do battles with the rampaging armies of the Sultan.

The peace that has for so long been ingrained within the thoughts of those who call Caenterin home has vanished, leaving only a bittersweet memory. Times have indeed changed, and the people of the land must now prepare themselves for what is to come. The future of the region is to be shaped by each and every man and woman who dares face the struggles that life delivers head-on. These struggles are real, and no one is devoid of encountering them, regardless of birth, strength, or intelligence. It is now up to ten very different people - a dutiful prince, a loyal noblewoman, a lowborn maid, an ambitious knight, a manipulative schemer, an aristocratic cynic, a loving father, a damaged brother, a conflicted youth, a courageous princess, and a rising hero - to face the troubles that an ever-changing world throws their way; to partake in the hardships that grip a dying world; to witness the shattering of the crowns.
  





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19 Reviews



Gender: Male
Points: 14
Reviews: 19
Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:09 pm
CarryOnMrCaulfield says...



I am just looking for input, by the way.
  








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