Young Writers Society

Since the beginning of time, whenever a story would be told, a new world would grow to existence. Through the folklore of many nations, fairytales and mythology, tales only told and those written hundreds of times, these worlds grew and got richer, and their creatures lived their lives beyond what the humans told about them.

Between the realm of the mortals and that of the Others, the Kingdom - never called nor named anything else - was built to oversee and protect, and keep the worlds in peace for millenias. It is almost a live creature itself, connected to its ruler and guardian (king or queen) and acting as a bridge which both connects and separates the realms.
But now, its ruler is dying, and the only heir is no where to be found, taken from their home and taken somewhere far beyond their parents' reach. Without the heir, once the Kingdoms ruler and guardian dies, there will be nothing separating the world of the mortals from the web of worlds of all the creatures they consider to be nothing but stories - and there are those on both sides who would enjoy that turn of events.
Desperate, the ruler calls for those who'd dare to enter the mortal realm in search of the heir, knowing he might be sentencing some of them to death or worse and taking a huge risk at the same time - for there is a possibility that, for each creature that passes to the mortal realm, a human by accident gets access to the Kingdom, and hence possibly the worlds beyond.

And this is where you come in.

Just as the other two of my SBs this month, this one too is primarily driven by the characters and their relations and personality. You can create any kind of character - from angels and demigods to various elven sorts or even Disney creatures. These are all refered to as Others, as opposed to the humans in the mortal realm. Your character will have memories and experiences of whatever their story is about (if you choose a specific character - if you go with, say, a mountain troll from some land's folklore, it doesn't necessarily have to have a known story of its own, but would have a personal history nonetheless) but this Storybook will not follow either of their stories directly.
Of course, you can be a human, one who's interacted with one or more of these creatures in the past or one completely oblivious to their existence, of any gender or age, living in the realm of mortals. The ruler(s) of the Kingdom are also playable characters - each ruler is born in the Kingdom and can never leave it, except by handing the crown to his/her heir. The heir is always their first child, and in case of younger siblings, the world will not recognise any of them unless the first heir dies. All of these characters can be of any gender, and it's up to you to think of whether some of them should know each other or not. They can, but don't have to be a part of the expedition sent to find the heir - and naturally, no one says you must have good intentions or even pretend to have them.

I will draw the line at ten people (besides myself) for now, but if the slots happen to be filled and you feel like joining, raise your hand in the DT or send me a PM and we'll squeeze you in

I'll be playing the missing heir (who indeed is in the human world). Feel free to use whatever format of profile you want, this template is just for guidance.

Code: Select all

Name:
Age:
Kind: (and about that kind, if possible :3)
Appearance: (pictures are good)
Personality:
Your story: (short history for those who don't come from an actual story)
Other:

Prince Rai of the Kingdom
*

There was music in the wolrd of the mortals. Dressed in colours, they danced and laughed, talking in their strange languages and exchanging gifts. I focused on a young man, trying to mimick his expressions. He was biting his lips, tapping his leg, playing with his sleeves, smiling slightly. He was nervous, I recalled, but it seemed to me it wasn't such a bad feeling - I've been following him for a while, and I knew with quite some certainty that his nervousness was only present because of a girl he liked.
"She'll say yes," I muttered under my breath and closed my eyes for a moment.

As I opened them again, the dark glass of the mirror in front of me was showing me something else. This was the mortal realm as well, that I was sure of, but something was different - this place was darker, with no music and less people around, and I didn't like it. I frowned. Show me something else.

The mirror turned black instead, and I sighed. Ever since my father got sick, and swarns of advisors and friends started attacking me wherever I went, the Kingdom allowed me less and less time looking through to the mortal world. I could focus and tell it to let me see whatever I wanted, but before it was so much easier - before, it'd show me whatever I wanted without me even forming my wishes as demands. Before, it felt like having a powerful friend who would do whatever I wanted, one who understood me and whom I understood like no one else. Now, it felt like having the loyalest of servants, serving as my tutor at the same time and not letting me stray from my way.

It wasn't what I wanted.

For years and years, I was the one who was always crossing through the worlds, learning and exploring. If I'd known how drastically that would change, I would've spent even more time outside. My father's condition made me the future Protector of this Kingdom, this bridge between all the worlds, taking away my freedom and dumping responsibility on my shoulders earlier than anyone expected. I could feel the Kingdom more intensly now, even though I could always feel it stronger than anyone else could. It was everywhere, breathing and living around me, whispering to me and ocasionally asking for my help, telling me whatever I wanted to know. It was loyal to me, as I was loyal to it, but I couldn't control it - not yet. I knew, as everybody did, that my father was dying, and his land's allegiance was shifting between him and myself - the past Protector and the future one - but no one cared to ask if it was something either of us wanted. I had observed him and mother, and all the others helping to keep the Kingdom safe and calm, ever since I was little, but I couldn't even begin to imagine myself on the throne. Bound to the Kingdom, to one place, forever. Looking into the other worlds and choosing who or what passes through in either direction, but never leaving myself. Never moving, never exploring, just watching others do it for eternity to come.

I ran my hand over my face, shaking my head slightly. I didn't know how long I had, but - as I've been repeatedly told, by almost every person I crossed paths with - I couldn't risk it by leaving the Kingdom, for if I happened to not be in it at the moment my father died, terrible things would happen. What exactly those terrible things were, much to my frustration, no one was quite able to tell.

"Why wasn't I born as something that needs to travel between the wolrds?" I muttered, observing my reflection in another mirror - one which actually showed reflections - for a long moment before taking my completely human appearance. I missed walking around mortals, although I knew most of the others didn't approve of it. I smiled a little to myself, turning invisible for a moment and then back to myself, wondering how long would it take before I'd stop having fun by walking around in my human form and disappearing whenever someone would try to check if it was an unregistered mortal wandering through our realm.
Not very long, my mind said, and I closed my eyes, wishing I at least had someone to talk to about this. I had tried - with my parents, it was all about what's right, with my brother it was all about duty and what's the best for Kingdom, with any random being I ran into, it was a topic they didn't quite feel worthy of discussing with their future ruler - none of those helped. If anything, they all made me feel worse. I didn't like the idea of being locked up in one world till the end of forever - spending that time isolated even from people who lived here sounded even less appealing.

I only saw a figure standing behind me when it was already too late to do anything about it. In one moment, I was looking at my own reflection, a gloved hand landing on my shoulder - in the next, everything turned dark, and I could feel the Kingdom calling for me as I was taken away from it.
*

Demhara, the Oracle/Her keepers Castle:

"Milady, Lord Clifford wishes to see you." My maids voice pulled my from my musical revery, I stopped singing and turned from my harp,

"Does he now?" I raised a brow and stood slowly, wondering if the man had actually gone through with his plan.

"He does, he required you in his study."

"Please inform him I will be there shortly." I turned and went into my bedroom, as it was attached to my small parlor.


Shivering in the damp and chill of this horrid castle I pulled my thin shawl tighter aqbout me, but it barely did any good... All of my keepers seemed to think of me as a doll, dressing me like one too. I knew my garments were thin, revealing, and I hated it. I would rather have a thick woolen dress then these silken dresses- but my Keeper, Lord Clifford was ot the kind of man to worry about my personal taste... He desired me in his bed, I knew that, and the thought made me sick. He often said things revealing how much he lusted after me, but he would never touch me. My gifts of forsight were linked tightly with my virginity- or so he thought. So he desired me from afar and left me be. I quickly gathered my courage and ventured out into the halls- I knew most of the castle now and could easily navigate, blind though I was.

A few minutes later I was in my Keepers study. I let my magic flare slightly, feeling about the room.

"you sent for me?"

"I did my little songbird." He purred, my skin crawled... of all my keepers I hated him the most.

"What do you require of me?"

"I need you to look into the other worlds, and tell me what you see."

... an odd request but I obeyed never the less, letting the curtains of magic be drawn away so I could see beyond.

"There is trouble...." I murmured, "Great unrest... pandemonium and fear. They are looking for something."

"No, not Something Songbird. Someone." My keeper said laughing triumphantly."

"Someone?" I asked confused, you know of this already?

"Oh yes," the gloating tone of his voice showed he had been the perpetrator of this deed, whatever it was.

"I've stolen something- but now, look into the future, tell me what is there for me."

"You know I can't do that, and you know it's always uncertain. things change... nothing is set in stone until it happens." he growled.

"Look"

and I did, my magic swelled and took hold of me, putting me in a trance light state. in this stage others only needed to be near me to see what I saw- my magic projecting itself into their minds as well.

in my daze I thought I heard someone struggling, crying out as though with fear, or anger. but I couldn't be sure.... I knew once I had used my magic I would black out, this was always the way and I would be ill for the next few days.