Young Writers Society

Though LMS hasn't started yet, I thought I'd get ahead of the game and make myself a thread for my novel. The two protagonists lack names as of right now, and the overarching antagonist is a mystery to even me. But I have some of the basics down, so I might as well start there.

It's the summer before senior year. While most people may have started to think about college applications or getting some sort of part-time job to pay for their future tuition, the protagonists are trying to make their summer worth it. These two protagonists are girls who have only recently become best friends, but are joined at the hip so much that they want to get into the same college. Their parents are out of the picture; one set is on a month long vacation, and the other set is too busy with work. They have the summer to themselves.

One girl ropes the other into going to several flea markets. It's at the third that they finally find something interesting: a matching pair lockets. One is gold, and the other is silver. They decide to buy them. It's only when they accidentally end up in a completely different world that they realize how magical the lockets really are.

And thus begins their journey to get back home and figure out how the lockets work.

Highlights of the novel are the scenery, the blossoming romance between the protagonists, and Kartiel, the mysterious king who supposedly possesses a golden locket of his own.

(Here's a picture of what I think some of the world might look like, in case anyone is interested.)

The protagonists, featuring a little blurb on Kartiel. I might change the names later on, but I wanted to have something to start calling them now. I'll either update their names when I do or make a completely new post in this thread.


The girl with the golden locket. She's rarely called Cassandra; her classmates call her Cassie, and her friends and family call her Cass. Her parents at the ones that have spent the majority of childhood at work. She doesn't hate them for it, but she also doesn't feel all too fondly towards them. Their absence has fostered a sense of independence in her. An independence that, unfortunately, rarely shows when around other people. She's seen as shy and socially awkward by most. While that may be true, her best friend knows just how open she can be when she's comfortable with a person or a place.

She's the one who accidentally brought them to another world.


The girl with the silver locket. The only person allowed to call her anything other than Aspen at the start of the novel is Cass. If someone does, she'll immediately correct them. Aspen's parents are the ones that are away on a month long trip. Now that she is seventeen and has frequently shown how responsible she can be, Aspen's parents believe that they can leave her for longer periods of time. Aspen takes these times of freedom in stride. She's more socially aware than Cass, but doesn't hunger for interaction in the same way that Cass does.

She's the one who suggested they go to the flea market.


The mysterious king of a mysterious land that lacks a name. The land is mysterious because few venture into it. The ones that do never come back quite the same, if they even return. Not much is known about King Kartiel himself except that he possesses a golden locket much like the one Cass has. He is strongly opposed to the just ruling of the neighboring land; once, they tried to rid the world of the threat his kingdom possessed. The attempt resulted in the death of his father, and he swore vengeance.

Long story short, Kartiel is exactly the guy you want to avoid if you don't want to die, but also the same guy you want to meet if you want answers on how the lockets work.

Here's some pictures for the characters mentioned so far, starting with Cass and ending with Kartiel.

Inspiration comes from the strangest of places - in this case, it seems like Kartiel's home is going to be taking some inspiration from Minecraft. My original plans were for him to live in a fancy, old castle, but I think an impressive woodland mansion would do the perfect job of showing off his power and overall riches.

After thinking through the plot I have planned, Aspen is going to be demoted to a side character and the story will solely be told from Cassie's perspective. First person is something that I'm not too comfortable with, so it'll be told from third person instead.

Seeing that most of my novels involve jumping from one character's perspective to another, it's going to be interesting focusing on a single person.

The world that Cass and Aspen are transported to at the start of the story. Its continents currently form a single, giant landmass in the center of a vast sea, though not all parts of it have been explored due to geographic and climate conditions. Stories of dragons, demons and the fae are told to frighten children, but few believe they truly exist. However, Seraphinity is a world that inherently runs on magic. Every person there possesses some form of it. It is simply a matter of figuring out how to access it.



The region that the story takes place in. It is bordered by impassible mountains on all sides, and possesses a relatively constant climate throughout the land. The most notable groups of people living there are the people of the Rexun Alliance and the kingdom of Telorum.



A union of several lands bordering one another. The people of the alliance share a similar monetary system, and people frequently travel from one land to another. They make up the large majority of Partex. Though no one is required to join, it is heavily advised that independent kingdoms ally themselves with the alliance.



A small kingdom in Partex. Known for its opposition to the Rexun Alliance and occasional conflict with the nations bordering it, Telorum is not a place most of the people of Partex tend to go. It is ruled by a monarchy - the current ruler is King Kartiel IX, and he has been on the throne for the past few decades. Not much is known about him or the kingdom he rules. However, it is common knowledge that those who enter its borders rarely end up leaving them.



An ancient race of beings who transcend the common views of humans. Many variations of their stories are found across Partex, but there is a common message among them all: the gods have been around since the dawn of the world, and will be around for the rest of eternity. They are said to be immortal and possess magic unlike no magic any mortal has seen. Some are known as malevolent beings, while others are known as kind deities who frequently grace the humans of Partex with their benevolence and gifts. It is believed that their forms are mostly human, with a few noticeable differences. Their eyes glow beautiful shades of every color imaginable, they possess a beautiful set of wings with the softest and brightest feathers, and their skin glows with an irresistible light.

These are the race that the majority of the Rexun Alliance worships.



A sister race to the gods, the fallen are just as elusive and powerful. However, these deities are different. While their kin may be tricksters towards the human race, the fallen have committed some crime that they must atone for by being stripped of their position - a crime so heinous that normal punishments don't suffice. They share the glowing eyes of the gods but their wings have become draconian in style. Furthermore, the glow that once coated their skin is replaced by scales of a variety of colors. Gods are worshiped; the fallen are hated. Only a few groups believe them to be good in nature, but these groups are generally mocked by those who follow the path of the gods.

The kingdom of Telorum has an interesting relationship with the fallen. Though some may say that they worship them in fiendish rituals, it can be agreed upon by most that they just seem to respect them in a way few kingdoms do. No one is quite sure why.



The current king of Telorum. Though he may be the ninth king given the name Kartiel, he is only the eighth to have it consecutively. The first Kartiel was followed by King Aldonius, who then had the first Kartiel in this current line of kings. This is the extent that the outside world knows of his lineage. His mother is a mystery, though his father is quite known to the people of the Rexun Alliance. His father was assassinated several decades ago by a member of the alliance. King Kartiel VIII had always been a staunch opponent of many of the Rexun Alliance's just policies, and the day of his death is often heralded as a celebration by the other kingdoms of Partex.

The Rexun Alliance knows that King Kartiel XI has sworn vengeance on those who killed his father, but it is impossible to tell when he will finally strike an attack. Despite issuing that threat, the current king has committed no wrongs against the alliance. In fact, his foreign policy is diabolically different than his predecessors: he takes no part in the affairs of Partex, and his kingdom has become almost entirely isolated.

Cool, I like how the Rexun Alliance is like the EU! Only with that added problem of "this entire country completely hates us and swears vengeance on us, to be exacted at some unknown point."

the blossoming romance between the protagonists and Kartiel

So are you going for like an eventual polyamorous relationship? I'm curious to see how that would pan out, especially since he's known as kind of "evil," althoughhhhhhhh since no one really knows much about him I suppose it's entirely possible that he's quite misunderstood.

(But also you mentioned he's a person you definitely want to avoid if you want to not die.)

clearly I'm a sucker for evil-to-good

Whoops, I forgot a comma there! It was meant to just be a relationship between Aspen and Cass. I'd love to write a polyam relationship in a story someday, but there's also a really large age gape between the girls and Kartiel.

OKAY that makes sense. At first I thought that was what you meant, but then lol no comma. Cool!

Another picture of King Kartiel, this time actually drawn by me. I was able to put in more details than I had been able to with the avatar maker I used in a previous post, so I think this is my favorite version of him so far.

I know you mentioned that their names could be temporary, but I really like Kartiel and Aspen <3

This sounds really cool! I love what you have set up for it so far! I've got a few questions, if you don't mind

-Is there a reason there are two gold lockets and only one silver locket?

It is simply a matter of figuring out how to access it.

Whoa o: that's pretty awesome! Are there any magic schools or places to go where people can be trained to access their magic, or learn how to unlock it and wield it? Furthermore, since I'm a sucker for magic and how it affects everything, how is magic generally regarded across Seraphinity?

-You said every person possesses some form of magic- does this become a problem with Cass and Aspen? I'm assuming, being from our world, they don't have any magic or do they? the lockets, perhaps?

Every place in the known universe has magic. Some are just more aware of it than others. Earth, for example, is mostly ignorant of its existence. But on a world like Seraphinity, everyone is aware that is real. Life there is fueled by magic. This magic can vary in form and type, but ultimately comes from the same source: a person's soul.

There are two main categories for magic.They're called "general magic" and "specific magic" on Earth. I currently don't have names for the Partex equivalent of them, so I'll be using those terms as a place holder until I come up with them. Because this story is relatively new compared to some of my other ones and uses the same magic system, I'll use examples from those stories.



The people who wield this type of magic are like the magical jacks-of-all-trades. They can do almost anything with their magic - provided they know the right incantation. Their souls give them great magical potential, but words are needed to harness this wild magic. It is impossible for them to use it without that kind of trigger. Some can use their magic to imitate the magic of the specific magic users, but their magic will always be inherently weaker. Other possibilities for general magic are the creation of powerful magical devices, body-altering spells (such as strength and speed incantations) and magic that allows them to change reality (such as illusions). Specific magic users may have a variety of magical options at their disposal, but they tend to have a preference based on personal experiences.

Mira, a protagonist in my currently unnamed novel, is a general magic user. She is known to use tracking and illusion spells, but the spell she prefers to use is one that allows her to create water that entraps her opponent. She uses it because it is the first one she learned.



This form of magic tends to be slightly more common, but not by much. Specific magic can be broken into several subgroups. At their simplest, the powers are the creation and manipulation of fire, water, wind, plants, ground, darkness and light. None have an advantage or disadvantage to the others. Each subgroup has some degrees of variation within them as well, due to the person's soul or the way they choose to wield their particular magic.

In the novel that Mira is from, there are two characters whose magic falls into the water subgroup. They serve as a good example of the differences a category can have based on the design of their soul. While one character has control over liquid water, another has control over ice. Even if they wanted to use the other form, neither one of them could.

In regards to the differences in a subgroup that can arise from preference, I'll use two characters from my fanfiction Ace of Hearts. Each one has magic that falls into the darkness subgroup. The protagonist Herobrine uses his in a more controlled form - he makes armor and solid, tangible weapons (like swords) when facing his opponents. The current antagonist, on the other hand, mainly uses his darkness magic in its wildest form; the magics appears as strands of darkness that seemingly have minds of their own.

While general magic needs incantations to work, specific magic can be really unpredictable. If someone has a strong enough emotion, that can be enough for them to unwilling use their magic. That's why people tend to learn if they have general magic at a young age. Kentaro, a protagonist in my unnamed novel, uses fire magic, and he once says to another character that he discovered his magic when he was five and had a terrible temper tantrum - his magic went out of control and he nearly set his house on fire.

But strong emotions don't usually have such drastic effects on the magic of older magical users.



There is one exception to the two categories of magic. This magic is more specific than general magic, but also doesn't involve the creation of magic - it only involves the manipulation of it. Among the magical specialists, this magic is called soul magic because it manipulates the magic of a soul. But among most people, this magic is called healing magic. Both the soul of the one being healed and the soul of the healer are connected to achieve. It's an incredibly rare form, and is considered to be something only the holiest beings in the world - the gods - can possess. The few humans born with healing magic are held in a higher regard than those who don't have it.



As mentioned before, only a general magic user can create a magical device. Anyone with magical potential - a general or specific magic user - is then able to use these devices. The devices aren't strictly designed for a single task; they can do whatever the creator enchanted them to do. There are obviously some mishaps regarding the creation of magical devices, but most devices in Partex are created by standard, widely-used spells.

The lockets are examples of magical devices. So far, it is known that they can transport unwitting people from one world to another - but it is possible that they may have more hidden secrets.

@scribbleinks, I'm glad you like their names! I ended up going back to the one that I originally had for Cass (her "new" name was going to be Val), but I really love the names Aspen and Kartiel as well.

Is there a reason there are two gold lockets and only one silver locket?

In terms of plot, I'm still figuring that out. But in terms of my inspiration, it's because the lockets they have are the same locket that I have. I got a silver locket (like Aspen's!) from a local flee market a few years ago and there were two gold ones on display with it.

Are there any magic schools or places to go where people can be trained to access their magic, or learn how to unlock it and wield it?

Not really! It's something you're taught by your parents when you're growing up, or by a close and more experienced friend.

Furthermore, since I'm a sucker for magic and how it affects everything, how is magic generally regarded across Seraphinity?

Ironically enough, I went to update this with the way the magic works just as you left your reply to this thread! I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out based on that new information, but I'll answer this question just in case it isn't as clear as I hoped it would be. Throughout all of Seraphinity, magic is considered a part of everyday life! It varies from region to region, but the people of Partex absolutely adore it.

You said every person possesses some form of magic- does this become a problem with Cass and Aspen? I'm assuming, being from our world, they don't have any magic or do they? the lockets, perhaps?

Our world is a little bit different than Seraphinity, as Cass and Aspen will quickly learn! Magic is definitely present in our world, but most people can't access it without a lot of effort. Some have an easier time with it than others. An example that I mention in the magic system post is with the protagonist (Kentaro) in my unnamed novel. He tells one of the other protags that he learned about his fire magic at a young age after throwing a temper tantrum.

But in Cass and Aspen's case, they have no idea magic exists until they end up on Seraphinity. They do have magic of their own - I just have to figure out what specific types they have. I'm leaning towards general for Aspen and some sort of specific magic for Cass.

Thanks for the questions!

Yoooo I love the world-building you've got going on here!!! I'm super curious as to HOW exactly the lockets bring Cass and Aspen to Seraphinity, but I have a strong feeling it has to do with Kartiel, who.... might still be the god of Souls? Is he a god in this story?? Omg that would certainly make sense of a few things, but that might not make sense of his apparent ancestry. Can gods have children? Are the children also gods? But then again, you said gods can't die, or at least, aren't believed to die... so HMM. HMMMMMMMMM.

I know this is probably the most spoilery thing but the lockets really intrigue me. Mostly because, if they're a device that Kartiel imbued with magic (or maybe Kartiel's dad did? or he got the magical lockets from someone or a god idk) I'm just wondering how they got to that flea market. Who was selling them? How did they get them????? ON EARTH??!?? Were they planted there intentionally? Lost? Sent out into the world aimlessly? Did they somehow """find""" their way therE?????
HOW MAGICAL ARE THESE LOCKETs, SAEN?!??!?

Also, I know we got brief descriptions of Cass and Aspen but I still feel like I don't know much about them!!! In a way? Like, Cass is shy and independent, and Aspen is responsible and more socially aware and confident or something. I guess I'm just wondering how they get along as a duo! What's their chemistry like? Do they joke around a lot? Flirt a lot? Is it just chilling and stuff? Idk what people do together lol. WHAT ARE THEIR RELATIONAL DYNAMICS???

ANYWHO! This looks like it'll be a really interesting story and I'm psyched for u and LMS and u have my full support

@soundofmind, thank you so much for replying to my thread!!

I'm super curious as to HOW exactly the lockets bring Cass and Aspen to Seraphinity, but I have a strong feeling it has to do with Kartiel, who.... might still be the god of Souls?

I can promise you right now that he's not the god of souls - this Kartiel is actually different than the one who showed up in Lost and Aeyis! I consider this the third version of Kartiel. Even though this guy looks the most like the Kartiel you know, you'll learn that his story is closer to the story of the first Kartiel.

HOW MAGICAL ARE THESE LOCKETs, SAEN?!??!?

VERY! I'm going to go ahead an call them deus ex machinas, because they're the epitome of convenient and powerful. But never fear - it'll actually be justified, once I get into the true purpose of the lockets.

I guess I'm just wondering how they get along as a duo! What's their chemistry like? Do they joke around a lot? Flirt a lot? Is it just chilling and stuff? Idk what people do together lol. WHAT ARE THEIR RELATIONAL DYNAMICS???

Oooh, I hadn't thought that much into it yet! I'd say that they have a very good chemistry. Most of the time, they can figure out what the other person is feeling and adjust. Aspen is the one who jokes a little more, but Cass tries her best at it as well! I think Aspen might have flirted with Cass more than once, but Cass is oblivious and is still trying to work out her own feelings. They hang out all the time, and do all sorts of crazy things. Aspen really likes flea markets and cool little shopping places, while Cass loves going hiking.