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The Isle of Gold



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Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:40 am
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mellifera says...



⚔️ The Isle of Gold ⚔️


The only explanation Carter Sokolsky's sister, Shiloh, leaves for him when she suddenly disappears is a note that doesn't actually explain anything. Then two strangers claiming to know her find Carter, and not only did they not know she had a brother, they claim she has been hiding a secret, incredibly dangerous life from him.

Shiloh's disappearance means more than disrupting Carter's mostly quiet life, however, and he finds himself tangled in plots both magical and political. Really, all he wanted was to take care of horses and live in a small cottage away from the grandeur of life.


⚔️ MAIN CAST ⚔️
jump


Carter Sokolsky: Former stablehand of Aldric Bazzoli. Shiloh's younger brother, Whisper's best friend.

Shiloh Sokolsky: Carter's sister. Disappeared suddenly without warning.

Gideon Palladino: Someone who claims to know Shiloh. Isha's partner in crime.

Valérie: Someone else who claims to know Shiloh. Gideon's partner in crime, and apparent leader.

Whisper 'Winnie': Carter's best friend. Owns Koshar and Achille. Magical.

Finn: how could you describe him in words

⚔️ SETTING ⚔️


Isle of Gold is one of a chain of islands spanning an ocean. Fantasy setting.

Last edited by mellifera on Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:32 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Wed Jun 06, 2018 3:07 am
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Vervain says...



I want to see this so bad. Right now. Copy on my desk by Friday.

Legitimately, these kinds of stories always intrigue me. I love the focus on a more "normal" character being dragged kicking and screaming into a topsy-turvy world. It's pretty standard as far as hero's journey and other story archetypes but it's such an attractive model for me.

Also, honestly, worldbuilding is something you can iron out as you go. Obviously don't go in blind, but you can definitely go in with a vague idea and your readers will never know.

I'm a person who tends to worldbuild on the fly -- I dabble in conworlding but it's more to the essence of building these societies that my characters realistically interact with.

The most important question: How does the society they live in impact your characters?
stay off the faerie paths
  





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Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:41 am
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mellifera says...



@Lareine Right now and Friday are two slightly different dates xD would that I could though!

I'm super glad you like it! I agree, I love protagonists who aren't...all decked out, I guess? I'm not sure if that makes sense. Not to say this won't end up being very standard in terms of 'hero's journey' type stuff :p Just gotta spin it up my own way.
I'm going to try to do as much as I can beforehand, but honestly it'll probably come as I go more than anything. I have ideas for how I want some things to work, so I'll start out with that. I think one of my problems is I try to micromanage everything without laying down groundwork first to work off of.

And that's actally a pretty interesting question! It makes me think haha, that's good.

(putting it in a spoiler because it's a bit long, sorry about that)

Spoiler! :
Carter is pretty reclusive from society. He isn't the adventurous type, and he finds more comfort in routine. He goes out to town frequently to spend time with Winnie and run errands. He's there and people know of him, but may or may not remember who he is. He's adaptable to his environment, but change makes him uncomfortable. There are many instances where Carter would rather pretend there are not bad things happening in the big wide world, because he's so focused on his little corner of it.

Gideon and Isha are pretty similar cases. There are five reputable Coteries across the island, who specialise in different kinds of crime, but are constantly fighting each other. Gideon and Isha have belonged to three of them, and until Shiloh goes missing, they've lived as apart of a Coterie they're whole lives. Isha has always been in a better position than Gideon (for parental reasons and because she's...a she), though she's always trying to set herself on equal ground as him, but it still means she's afforded more luxury than he is. Isha has less cynicism than Gideon does in this case, and she's given a slightly longer leash for misbehaviour. Isha was raised a little more 'nurture' and Gideon was raised a little more 'nature', I suppose.

Gideon, on the other hand, has been raised as more of the soldier type, or even more of an assassin-type. He's been trained to separate himself and be nothing more than a powerful tool for the Coterie. But he is an emotional person, and resents being controlled, because he's got a moral compass. He has trouble not distancing himself from things anymore, and he knows it. It feels wrong to be connected to anything for him, but it also feels wrong not to.

Whisper lives in one of the villages that is pretty close to one of those Coteries (surprise surprise), which is fairly close to Carter. Society is a little more unsettled by them, because people don't know how to react to them. Moreover, Whisper has some odd traits such as having elf-like ears, being attuned to nature, and other things that are deemed 'magical', but since magic is a slippery concept, the idea of someone possessing it is also really strange. History says magic was A Thing, but doesn't seem to know where it went. Overall, Whisper is the type who tries not to pay heed to anything negative society says about them, but they are notorious for being a do-gooder.

I don't know if that's really what you were asking? That kinda focused more on the characters themselves than the world around them. Oops.

Also yes I skipped Finn because I'm tired. This is also my excuse any mistakes I threw in there.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

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Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:36 pm
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mellifera says...



⚔️ C H A R A C T E R S ⚔️

*outdated and unfinished*



Main Characters

Spoiler! :

Carter Marshall Sokolsky

Carter is of average height, with rich, dark brown curls, and stormy blue-grey eyes.

Loves horses more than people with some exceptions. Reveres Shiloh and puts all his trust and faith into her. Says um a lot. Is terrified of anything small that flies (not birds) but is petrified of wasps and beetles.

-Carter likes the quiet of routine, even at his own expense. Doesn't like confrontation and would do anything if it meant avoiding it. Prefers to stay out of everyone's way and pretend as though he doesn't exist. Can be naïve at times, though he's surprisingly aware of his surroundings, he just would rather pretend he's not. Very perceptive and especially attuned to when other people are angry. Doesn't like making big decisions.

Would probably cry if a spider got too close but also could never bring himself to hurt it. Likes to be around Whisper because they're calming and make sure Carter is comfortable. Also likes Whisper's cat because he's an animal nerd. Carter has only one thing he would get into a fight for and that's horses (and other animals but mostly horses).



Gideon Eric Palladino

Gideon is below average height, with fuzzy auburn hair, and green-gold eyes. Has three brands. Likes to wear arm cuffs for some reason. Athletic, and has very precise aim. Of Italian descent if the name wasn't clear.

Is dreadful at complimenting people. Tries very hard, but needs to be dialled back and knows it. Very protective.

-Gideon has been raised and taught his whole life that he is two things: a pawn to the coterie, and expendable. Both him and Isha held a level of resistance and caution for all the coterie's rules and the way they did things, though Gideon was the only one to ever openly defy orders (on two occasions, and his rebellious nature was swiftly ended).

Because of the way he was shaped growing up, Gideon has trouble recognising sometimes when he is being cold, ruthless, or unprincipled. He is aware of these faults, but so far has done very little in the way of changing them (not wanting punishment for getting too soft, since that's regarded as Very Bad in the coterie world, especially for someone like Gideon)




Isha Kelyn Kaur

Isha is somewhat tall, with long blonde hair, and pale brown eyes. Has three brands like Gideon, but only one is the same. Athletic, has strong wrists. Gets nosebleeds.

Lives to make people uncomfortable, especially Carter because everything makes him uncomfortable. Unashamed of everything.

-Having been raised in the company of rowdy boys and unsavoury men, Isha has learned how to dig her heels in and hold her own. Raised in a higher standing than Gideon, Isha has had far more luxury and comfort offered to her. Being one to dislike remaining idle, Isha often found a certain peacefulness in the same training most of the mercenaries would receive, liking the feeling of being in control of herself and the situation when the coterie could always be so unpredictable.

Isha isn't afraid to speak what's on her mind, even when it's something that would get most other coterie members in deep water. Loves to make anyone and everyone squirm, just for the fun of it. She has a tendency to do things to extremes, dangerously so, because she likes adrenaline rushes. Claims it helps her focus.




Whisper 'Winnie' Sasha Clément

Whisper is the shortest, has short black hair, and steel grey eyes. They wear a lot a piercings, mostly earrings. Their ears are covered in studs, and slightly curved in an elf-like way. French accent.

Picks up on everything unnaturally fast. Carter claims they're an elf or fairy. The Mum friend. Goes by they/them and she/her. Always calls the keep Grand Verterre and never Comte's Keep.

-Many in Midvale regard Whisper with some level of apprehension and suspicion, and there are many rumours of magic or witchery surrounding them, and their cat, Koshar (believed to be Whisper's 'familiar'). Regarding them on a more personal level, most will mention their friendly, sweet personality. Whisper doesn't try to put themself in the spotlight, nor will they actively seek to make themself invisible in the same way Carter would.

Whisper has a calming presence, and will diffuse almost any situation. They are incredibly perceptive and smart, noticing things about anyone no matter how hidden that person wants it to remain. They are also resourceful, sometimes to a fault, but will always make sure others are cared after and made comfortable, if it is in their power to do so. Can be enigmatic and confusing sometimes.




Finn D'Aramitz

Finn is the tallest, with light copper hair, and sky blue eyes. Isn't very muscular, kinda twiggy, but very agile, probably could pass as Spiderman. Wears wraps around his feet instead of shoes. French accent because...he's also French...

Can be a bit of Robin Hood at times, but would never admit it. Also doesn't know what this is even after Carter repeatedly explains it.

-Often found in the shadows of the streets, if he can be found at all, Finn doesn't have much in the way of a reputation the way most thieves do. He's known to authorities, especially in Grand Verterre, but not widely by name. Finn prefers to keep a low profile and stay out of the limelight, not bothering to make a name for himself. He's good enough at not being detecting during his robberies, and no one can pin the crime on him well enough to prove he's done anything wrong.

He doesn't like the feeling of being weighed down and refuses to wear armour. He doesn't even like to wear shoes, both for this reason and for being sneaky, and instead wraps his feet enough so that he doesn't cut them up. Finn tends to be quiet and reserved, preferring to observe than to interact. He's a bit of hard shell, soft interior kind of guy.




Shiloh Liv Sokolsky

Shiloh is average height (she is shorter than Carter), has almost black hair, and stone grey eyes.

Looks at the big picture and often forgets about the details. Ambitious and determined and not the type to let people get in her way.

-Opposite to her brother, Shiloh isn't afraid to take the reins and makes her presence known. She has a gentle disposition to those she cares about, like Carter, and a fierce loyalty to them as well. As an older sibling, she feels a protective urge, especially to those younger than her or under her charge. She can be somewhat arrogant, however, sometimes forgetting about little details when she has her mind set on something, especially if she believes it to be the right thing.

Despite Carter's reverence over her, Shiloh has a bit more of a grey morality than a good or 'heroic' one, though she has a pretty good ethical compass. In fact, she has a little bit of a power-hunger that Carter mistakes as heroism.




Companions

Spoiler! :

Koshar

Koshar is a small, dark grey tabby with three white paws and bright amber eyes. Whisper's cat. Sometimes he seems to glow.

Is moody and apparently dislikes everyone but Whisper and Carter. Appears everywhere, even when it seems unlikely. Uncanny ability to survive everything.




Reese

One of Bazzoli's horses under Carter's care. A mérens horse, completely black with a red gleam in the winter. Stands at 14.6 hands.

This is Carter's mount. She has a very gentle, sweet disposition, with a resilient, hardy nature. Sometimes likes to nip playfully at Carter, just for fun, but won't with anyone else.




Villa

One of Bazzoli's horses under Carter's care. Another mérens, but Villa is black with a small, white star just beside her right eye and a coronet band on her back left leg. Stands at 14.1 hands.

Villa is the horse Gideon rides. She is very resilient and enduring, but proves to sometimes be a bit feisty. While she rarely gets up to any shenanigans with someone on her back, her ground manners can be lacking.




Fabella

One of Bazzoli's horses under Carter's care. A Norman Cob horse. She is a light chestnut, with a stocking on her back right leg and a half pastern on her front left. Stands at 16 hands.

Isha rides Fabella, sometimes joined by Finn. Fabella loves to nudge people with her nose, and when she gets fed peppermint. She has a tendency to get hot and excited sometimes, and likes to run around, contrary to her breed's usual temperament.




Achille

A former hunting horse who Whisper was trying to nurse back to health after she found him wandering outside of Midvale. A French Trotter horse. Mahogany bay with a tiny snip over his left nostril. 16.5 hands.

Whisper rides Achille. He is gelding with a somewhat nervous temperament and spooks easy. Likes Whisper, Carter, and Finn. Loves Koshar more than everyone else.




???




Important Figures

Spoiler! :

Comtesse Aelina

The leader of Île D'or, residing in Grand Verterre. Aelina is one of the younger leaders of the island, having been in the position for five years and now sitting in her place at the age of 21. She is said to be of a shorter stature, with hair the colour of pure silver and eyes the colour of a noon sky. She is not known for being benevolent or tyrannical, but rather a solid mix of the two.

There are many who oppose her rulings, however, because of the rising of the coteries and crime waves throughout the island, making many places unsafe. Aelina has spoken out against both the coteries and slavery, but has not made any stable motions to change either.



Waylon 'Monk' Fraser

Waylon Fraser leads as the alpha male to the Highlanders. Not many get the pleasure of ever seeing him- at least, not those who have stayed alive long after. He's dangerous at the best of times, and even those closest to him have no guarantee they'll wake up again when they go to sleep.

Known as Monk for his particularly attunement to Aconite (Monkshood) poisoning, Waylon knows the assassination business better than the back of his head and shows for it. The son of the last Highlander King (so they are known in the coterie), Waylon has grown up trained in both a poisonous blade and a silver tongue. And it's no secret either- there are rumours floating around the island of plans to overthrow the Comtesse and her government.




Raoul Odson

The no-nonsense, straight as an arrow (if an arrow could be morally wrong), Raoul is the undisputed leader and strongarm of the Blackfist coterie. Known famously for his expansive brands and his temper. Raoul is extraordinary vocal about his dislike for The Highlanders underhanded methods, claiming that there is few transgressions as great as taking a life so dishonourably.

There have been several people across the island who, feeling high and mighty indeed, came and challenged the coterie leader to a duel. This has become a greatly discouraged act by new challengers upon learning the fate of their predecessors. Still, Raoul sees these acts as exalted, and so that he may remind those who may doubt in his ruling hand of his strength.




Corin Von Brandt

The leader of the youngest brother coterie, Corin is constantly pushing for the Fire Forgers to come out as King of the Hill. While the Fire Forgers have a high reputation on the island, they've never quite been able to climb to the top of the hierarchy.

Unlike the other two leaders, who are masters at their coterie's specialities, Corin has little grasp on the art of smithing. He prefers to involve himself in nearly everything, his reach extending into every nook and cranny of his coterie and even onto the island itself. In his thirst to grow stronger than the other coteries, Corin often has fanatical ideas, and some describe him as both 'a dreamer' and 'a maniac'. His latest obsession has been recovering magic to possess it, and has become something that causes eyes to roll.




Vasile





Malika Okorie






Minor Characters

Spoiler! :

Aldric Bazzoli

Last edited by mellifera on Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:30 pm, edited 11 times in total.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





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Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:45 pm
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mellifera says...



⚔️ W O R L D ⚔️
*outdated and unfinished*



Locations

Spoiler! :

Île D'or

Île D'or is a moderately small island with only one large costal city, Merra. Much of the island is covered in a large forest, with the darker, dense woods to the north-east and the more spacial woods with open clearing to the south-west. Nobody knows, or at least nobody speaks of, what lies at the heart of the island, even though the Comte's Keep is barely 15 miles to the west. Is serves as a common place for myths, legends, ghost stories, and bedtime tales, however.



Comte's Keep (Grand Verterre)

The residence of the current Comte or Comtesse. The keep is built of solid, multi-coloured stone, and houses the Grand Chapel, a prized building across Île D'or. What once was a keep in the middle of a luscious meadow of wildflowers and greenery is now a partially desolate, beige landscape, next to a dead riverbed that used to wind around the city with crystal water.

Despite what Comtesse Aelina would have everyone believe, Île D'or is all but unofficially ruled by the coteries, and the fear they spread onto everyone. There is much speculation about how this will turn out, and rumours of plans to overthrow the Comtesse.



Midvale

A small village set on the edge of a forest and a grassland in the south-east. Full of closely built, mostly stone houses with two to three stories and dirt roads. The village was built around the landscape, with several trees lining the streets, or areas of the plains built encased in fence. There are several farms within the vicinity of Midvale, and it is known for being a rich agricultural village.

Whisper lives here. Carter and Shiloh live on the outskirts of one of said farms owned by Aldric Bazzoli.


Merra




Ailes

A small coastal town with a secluded harbour at the very north point of the island. There are rumours that there are people who help to smuggle out runaway slaves and coterie members onto ships leaving the island for their to escape, but there has been no confirmation from authorities on this matter.




The Coteries and Customs

Spoiler! :

The Highlanders

One of the oldest coteries on Île D'or and one of the most influential. They reside somewhere in the rocky highlands, near the coast, to the north. They specialise in intelligence and assassination, and are known for possessing and creating varieties of lethal poisons.



Fire Forgers

Known for their particular brutality and extracting information. The coterie has many trained smiths among their ranks, and deal in fine, black market weaponry. There are some rumours they have supplied the Comtesse's house before. Based somewhere in the south/south-west.



Blackfists

The other older coterie, unceasingly at war with The Highlanders. They live somewhere on the northeast part of the island. Best known for their fighting prowess, holding strong as producing the best mercenaries.



Dragon's Associates (Vasile's Boys)

One of the tougher coteries established nearly two decades ago, hostile and cold and pretty much at war with everyone. They are lead by a man known only as Vasile, with no known given name, and as such the group is often referred to as Vasile's boys. Known for dealing in mysterious substances. Lives somewhere near Comte's Keep.



Okorie

The newest kid on the block, created by a foreign woman who arrived on an apprehended ship, Malika Okorie, referred to as The Queen by most of her followers. Not particularly known for anything yet, seen as a child by most of the other coteries, but there is rising rumour of their business in smuggling. Seem to have no known location or have settled in any one place.




Branding

An age-old tradition for all coteries, save the Okories. Most go based on rank, or skill (Highlanders are by rank, Blackfists are by rank with additional branding or tattooing based on personal choice, Fire Forgers are by skill, and the Dragon Associates all only have one symbol to mark them). Both the Blackfists and the Highlanders were originated from illegal marketing ideals and slave labour. To claim their 'property', coteries would brand their members, as to make no room for any escapees. Eventually, this turned into a rite of passage, with an induction ceremony followed by the event. If any one person could not handle the branding, they were not fit to be in the coterie.
Some brands will even be tattooed upon afterwards, usually after some event that there is a rank change, but sometimes based upon personal achievements as a 'trophy'.

The Blackfists have made this branding quite famous, and are known for their endurance by suffering the branding ordeal several times over.

It is possible that, should anyone for any reason change coteries, that they will be given new brands.




Alliances and Rivalries





Hierarchies








Magic

Spoiler! :

Views on Magic

There is mixed belief over the island that magic did or does exist, and whether it never did. Much of this conversation exists now in folklore and myths, while some argue that some of these myths are real history that's been abused and forgotten. There is no proof one way or another whether magic exists, save for a few unexplainable mishaps now and then.

Many generations back, when magic was said to have existed, you'll often hear the names Ismeria, Estienne, Melisende, and Suero. They were said to be four Divines, and foretold an end to magic. Though this was cause for great alarm, the Divines promised as long as the faithful remained, magic would return once more, and the devout would be rewarded for their belief. The preachers still remain, though they are more spread out and thinned from time, they hold unquestioning belief in the return of magic.





The Divines








Technology

Spoiler! :

Overview

Île D'or's technology is still very behind from the rest of the world. Their biggest succession is smelting and forging machines, which has come from their attempts to catch up on the more modern technology. This is curious, as the island has very little in the way of any mining developments, and relies on trade from Italy for it's any related material.




Weaponry

The island has firearms, but there is a great lack in both the weapons themselves and gunpowder. Getting firearms relies on trading, so most will still use swords, knives, or crossbows (bows are surprisingly also not as common, because the authorities aren't trained with them, and they have fallen out of use and popularity to a severe degree). Most larger cities have their authorities using firearms, while the smaller cities are left with dated technology. The coterie has smuggled many firearms that have come through trade, the Blackfists being the ones who have the most (Fire Forgers don't use guns because they believe their weaponry and smithing is BETTER. The Highlanders prefer sneakier, more underhanded methods (coughpoisonscoughs) and suppressors have not come into development yet. The Okorie don't even really use weapons at all.)



Last edited by mellifera on Thu Jun 07, 2018 11:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





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Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:36 am
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Rosendorn says...



I think what @Lareine was getting at is: does the culture support or disavow the characters?

Like. Are people like Carter allowed to be recluses, or are they constantly pushed to be more social? Are people like Shiloh allowed to go off on adventures and be rebellious, or are they encouraged to stay home and be proper housewives?

The places and characters look super interesting— standard hero's journey isn't bad to adhere to, but I'm sure you'll get some twists in there!— but the basic culture is a bit fuzzy right now.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

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mellifera says...



OH gotcha, okay! I'll try to answer that then without getting too sidetracked.

edit: this is a lie I got really sidetracked but I want a lot of this for me so that I actually remember it. I still don't think this is quite the right answer, but it's something?
I'm definitely being aversive to working on the cultural aspects.

Society kind of 'ignores' Carter. Technically, he's a slave, but since he does get paid and is given shelter, the authorities won't do anything about it. Especially since no one knows that much about him, just that he's 'employed' by Bazzoli. Nobody's making a fuss about it, and the authority doesn't want the hassle of dealing with something as 'small' as that if it isn't an issue. Carter won't complain, because he gets to be with the horses. Shiloh can't complain without drawing attention to herself.

Slavery, in itself, is a 'walk on eggshells' conversation for most of the people. There aren't many people who are just going to say 'oh look, I've got slaves!', and instead act like pompous nobles and claim to pay them and get all huffy about it when, in reality, they do own people and it's still not okay. Slaves getting paid isn't a lie (most of the time), but they don't have a very good wage system set up, so as long as they get paid, it isn't seen as socially/culturally unacceptable. The Comtesse is constantly busy trying to wrangle the coteries under control, which is failing more and more daily, and soothe the growing tension of everyone being scared of the coteries and the violence they bring with them.

The Comtesse doesn't approve of slavery, but it's also only enforced in a handful of places. In most authorities eyes, it isn't a serious crime, so they often turn a blind eye to it. And since the coterie agree with it, and they're more widely spread than the ruling hand, they have more influence to let it slide (if that makes sense? I'm not sure that's worded right). There are, of course, groups who are vocal about their disapproval of it. Many of these protesters disappear (or just generally anyone who vocally disagrees with things the coteries enforce, which is a lot because all five have different views).

Women are socially expected to marry (before 25 at least), and if you aren't married by then, you'll probably get funny looks, but it isn't a do or die, if I may use that term. Going on adventures, as a whole, used to be a lot more exciting, especially because magic supposedly used to be a thing (but nobody is actually sure of this or has proof), but now, with the coteries being Mean™, nobody really wants to.

In the coteries, there are almost no exceptions to women getting married and having children. Either leaders of coteries will match the best pairs and let the rest choose on their own (to promote strong bloodlines and stuff), or they hold 'festivals' that are pretty primal, in the sense that men will battle each other for the women to prove who is strongest. The women even fight each other to determine this too. Women are not restricted from fighting in coteries, and are actually encouraged to. Men are more optional in the whole marriage business, but the healthier warriors are in high demands for fathering children.

Both Isha and Shiloh were unmarried, but were pressured towards it. Neither, of course, wanted this, and were stalling, before Shiloh disappeared. Gideon was actually pressured to sire children a LOT, but was more accepted when he turned it down. Sort of.

Authorities are spread thin, and everybody is mad at them for not solving the massive crime problem, so overall they aren't really doing a great job at their...job.

They DO get mad at people like Finn, however, for generally being thieves and disturbing the "peace". Can't have the Cometesse look that weak to allow banditry in her kingdom lol. Finn is the kind of person that mothers will shield their children's eyes from, because there's some sort of belief that if they look too long at someone who it Naughty, they'll become Naughty too. Most places, anyway.


I still need to get around to reading into cultures (looking into early modern France and Italian renaissance and maybe more?) to get inspiration so I have some sort of foundation, and I haven't gotten around to that yet. I've been carefully avoiding it, because I've never been good at that aspect of worldbuilding xD maybe this will finally hold me accountable to try harder this time.

But I appreciate the questions <3 it makes me think about things that I haven't really considered yet. I've been so focused on trying to figure out the plot, but these are also giving me ideas for how things will go :)
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Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:18 am
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soundofmind says...



!!! I love this idea!!!
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mellifera says...



thank you! :D
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

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Fri Jun 08, 2018 3:58 am
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mellifera says...



⚔️ NOTES ⚔️
*under construction* mostly for me but feel free to browse at your leisure



⛔UNDER CONSTRUCTION⛔

*don't have the time and can't be bothered to make this aesthetically pleasing*

Shorts List:

    Little Carter and Shiloh + reading lil Carter horse books

    Something about the Divines

    About Magic and Origin/Story of the Relic
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

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Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:27 am
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mellifera says...



⚔️ THE ART SECTION ⚔️
*updated as I go along*


Cover Concept #1
Spoiler! :
Image
to be honest I don't love it (I'm not good at these ahh), but I really don't know what I want the cover to look like and I do like the more whimsical illustration like this one. Also it's impossible to find pictures to use soo??


Whisper and Isha
Spoiler! :
Image


Carter
Spoiler! :
Image
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





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Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:57 pm
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Mageheart says...



I love this story so much! I've always thought having a story centered around the sibling of an action-loving character who may or may not be some sort of hero would be interesting, and I'm happy that you're writing a story about that! It looks like you've got an intriguing plot going on. I'm guessing your story will mainly have the protagonists dealing with a corrupt ruling system while looking for Shiloh?
mage

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Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:14 pm
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StellaThomas says...



I just wanted to say that I really love this concept - initially it was a concept I had for Unruly (What happens when the hero disappears and the sidekick has to take her place?) But that story has changed a bit now. But I really like the idea still! I'm also really enjoying your worldbuilding, and an very intrigued by the Comtesse!
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Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:15 pm
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mellifera says...



@Saen Thank you! I've really wanted to write something where the 'hero' type isn't the protagonist of the novel, while the protagonist doesn't seem very 'heroic' at all. And yes! Although, it kind of ends up being separated- looking for Shiloh and coterie issues are first, and the corrupt/bad ruling system is a little bit later. At least, that's what I'm aiming for right now, the plot is a bit shaky in terms of what's happening towards the second half.


@StellaThomas That's really cool! I love hearing how story ideas evolve like that over time :D I'm glad to hear you like everything so far <3
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

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Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:24 pm
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soundofmind says...



Okay so I haven't read through all of the posts but having gone through the stereotypical horse craze in my middle school years I feel a special connection to Carter because of his love for horses and my first question is: does he have a best horse friend? If so, what's the horse look like, and what is it's name? Also, since he loves horses, how good is Carter at taming and training them? I assume since horse care is part of his job description he's wonderful at taking care of them w/all the upkeep required to keep a horse healthy and happy, but I am curious to how Carter deals w/horses who have different temperaments and stuff!

Also, how good is he at riding horses? Has he ever done any kind of racing? How much horse knowledge does he have under his belt???? HOW MANY HORSE BOOKS HAS HE REAd, because it's probably more tHAN ME!!! AND My!! HORSE PHASE!! LOL

OH oh! Also! Has he ever helped deliver a baby horse/help a horse give birth? Does he ever do any vet/doctory stuff to take care of horses or is he not quite on that level of expert and is like "dude, sound, i'm just a stable boy, not a horse EXPERT."

LOLOLOL me lowkey still not over my horse phase but anyway tell me about Carter who's still drowning in HIS horse phase which probably isn't a phase
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Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you.
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