Young Writers Society

Most Popular

During the month of Juno- wait, what was that? Oh, I was supposed to say June. My mistake. It's because Hera is known as Juno in Roman mythology. Let me try again.

During the month of June, one storybook in particular pumped out posts similar to how a cumulonimbus pours down rain. Considering that its setting is Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson series, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Naturally, this means the hugely popular storybook can only be Wrath of Olympus by @Europa!

All is not well, however, for Hera has finally - with some help from Ares' daughter Eris, Goddess of Discord (and we don't mean the host of our beloved site's unofficial chat server) - had enough of Zeus. Olympus is now split down the middle, and the gods characteristically allowed the conflict to spill over onto earth. Hold on to your hats folks, because like the poor demigods, we have quite the storm to weather.


Most Deserving Of Attention

Before we announce the storybook most deserving of attention during June, we present to you this disclaimer: the members of the Storybook Crew are unbiased in all their decisions and would never- you know what, you won't believe us anyway.

The Curse of the Marie Celeste by @RedBird is a tale of two legendary pirate crews who both seek the same treasure. Each thinks the other is the only thing standing between them and unfathomable wealth and power, but of course, this isn't the case. Known to both crews but believed by neither, the titular ghost ship is wracked by a terrible curse. Which crew will triumph, and will victory simply be misfortune in disguise?

Sadly, the future is not even obscure but desolate, for only one storybooker besides the creator herself has submitted a character profile. Both crews are playable, and from what I've spied, one captain and both first mates are still available. We know you love adventure and pirates, so hop aboard and sail your crew to glory!

Yeah, I knew you wouldn't believe that we could remain objective. Tch.


Best Concept

Who here loves a dragon rider story? *raises hand* Who here loves a dragon rider storybook? *raises both hands* Is there anything better than a dragon rider storybook? That is not a trick question, for there definitely is!

In The Skyriders of R'lyr by legendary roleplayer @FalconryGirl9086, the R'lyran settlers have learned not only to live alongside their draconic and avian neighbours, but also how to entrain and befriend them! Sharing a bond with a dragon, gryphon or roc partner obviously comes with great responsibility; above all else, skyriders must protect the people.

Is there a mysterious threat emerging from within their ranks? Does war approach with the shields and banners of foreign nations? We cannot know, for the cunning DM has kept this secret to herself. The only certainty is that the cast of her latest storybook is in for quite the ride.


Features From The Realm

Around you is a forest. The forest is filled with lush greenery and glowing plants, and the scene is tranquil. That is until you hear a growling from behind you. Stalking you is a massive beast, at least three times your size. The beast is known as… the grangor.

That's right! This month's featured role play from the realm is The Grangor, a story about the hunter and the hunted. The creator of this roleplay is the ever wonderful @soundofmind, an active roleplayer in the forums who never ceases to impress us with the quality of her posts. Not to mention she has reached her bronze longsword, and is quickly approaching her iron longsword, in the brand new Dragon Master Challenge.

Is your Good Story Sense tingling? Then why not read up on the Grangor? I guarantee you it is worth your time!


Featured Geeks

There is a prison, deep within the confines of the Roleplay Geeks. Sorry, let me reword that. There is The Prison, deep within the confines of the Roleplay Geeks. Yes, this month's geek feature is the extremely active Prison, a neat roleplay set in a prison, as one could assume. With multiple participants, this roleplay has gained almost forty pages during June!

Of course, a roleplay is nothing without the creator, and so we now turn to she who started this genius work of roleplaying. She is the queen of the geeks, queen of the roleplays, queen of many things, but most know her as @FalconryGirl9086! That's right, the legend already going for the Dragon Master Chellenge's demonsteel longsword, and having 150 posts in the Roleplay Realm after a mere week! (I expect the number will have gone up by the time this is posted.)

While The Prison is closed to joining, it makes a great read. Thus, consider heading over right now to catch up on what they've produced so far!


Despite being new to the Storybook Crew, the daring Sheyren didn't hesitate to lend his expertise on roleplaying and write the appropriate sections of this newsletter. His fellow crewmates want him to know that his zeal leaves them impressed and proud.





Captain's Challenge: Summer Reading


One of my favourite things to do in the Summer is to take a book down to the river on a warm day and lose myself until I've forgotten what day it is. Our storyook characters tend to lead lives which are fast-paced, dangerous and exciting but even they should be able to make time for a good book.

So this month's challenge is to include a book in your post. We'll give you 1 credit for mentioning that a book is there and telling us the title of it and 1 more credit if someone is reading the book. And, because we're generous, we'll grant a bonus credit if the book is in some way crucial to your post and has a lasting impact on a characters' life.

That's 3 credits up for grabs and because all great things come in threes, you can claim it up to 3 times.





Your Staff for This Month...

If you require help from your swashbuckling crew this month, approach any of our ships - including that of the newly initiated Sheyren! - while flying the white flag. For the speediest assistance, be sure to display some manner of ice cream emblem on said flag - mods love ice cream, regardless of season. We'd be happy to help, even if you don't bribe us with dessert (although it is still very much recommended).




Most Popular Storybook Genres

At the time this newsletter was submitted, only twelve votes had been cast. Some last-minute rallying and nine hours later, that number had risen to thirty-nine. To all those who voted, your inputs are greatly appreciated.



The increased number of votes not only results in more accurate statistics, but it also made the poll's birthday all the more special. Can you believe it's been running for 369 days already? How time flies. But on to the results! Fantasy is still going strong, standing proud at eleven votes, but Adventure seems to be in just as great a demand; we have a two-way tie for first place! And what a tie it is. The closest genre is Sci-Fi, which claims third place with five votes, barely beating Mystery and Adolescent. It's interesting to see how little things change, even after a year has passed.


Hunger with AstralHunter

Every living creature needs energy to survive, and for animals, this energy is acquired by eating. When our energy runs low, we become hungry and search for food. But this much is obvious. What isn't as obvious is the mechanics behind hunger and the consequences of not eating enough, or at all.

The body's primary source of energy is glucose, which can be obtained from almost all foods. It has to be present in the blood, but excess glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen. As we go about our business during the day, blood glucose is broken down to make this possible, causing its levels to drop. Glycogen is then converted back into glucose to restore balance. Whenever we eat, we essentially replenish our glycogen reserves. This is under normal circumstances.

Of course, if your characters are ever in a situation where food is scare or completely unavailable, you'd want to know what happens next. When the glycogen reserves aren't replenished, the body initiates the starvation response - this happens about one to two days after food consumption has ceased. It then relies primarily on fat reserves for energy, although muscle breakdown also commenses. Once all or most of the body fat has been depleted, full muscle breakdown ensues - this usually happens several days after food consumption has ceased, but varies depending on the individual's body fat.

With the mechanisms out of the way, we can now focus on the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and starvation, which are the interesting parts. The most obvious of these are loss of body weight and fatigue, both physical and mental, caused by energy deficiency. Other symptoms that make sense but aren't immediately obvious include irritability and apathy, so expect your starving characters to be less pleasant - and understandably so, since many of us become cranky if we miss a single meal.

Jokes aside, starvation becomes exponentially worse the longer an individual goes without eating. As their bodies waste away, your characters will become increasingly weaker, interacting less and less with the world until they are too weak to move or even eat. Organs waste away too, so the sense of hunger will be dulled, while the sense of thirst may go away completely. Starving individuals often become dehydrated, so movement is not only made painful by muscle atrophy, but also by extremely dry and cracked skin. And let's not forget that with a weakened body comes a weakened immune system, so the poor souls become more susceptible to disease too...

It doesn't take a genius to deduce that starvation ultimately leads to death. In fact, it was even used as a means of execution throughout the ages. But few of us will ever find the opportunity to starve our characters, so something less extreme is required. This is where specific nutrient deficiencies become ironically useful.

While your adventurers are out completing quests and saving the world, they may find some food groups lacking or absent in their diet. For seagoing characters, fresh fruit and vegetables are especially important, as otherwise, they'll develop the condition that plagued seafarers for eons: scurvy. You can look its symptoms up yourself, but from what I've seen, they're even scarier than that of regular starvation. *shudders* This is why your favourite pirate mods always keep sitrus juice onboard their vessels.

Of course, there are many other nutrient deficiencies from which to choose. Eating only cereal-like foods can lead to pellagra and its distinguishing skin lesions, whereas a lack of meat and/or eggs in the diet can lead to anemia owing to insufficient iron intake. Though it sounds grisly, one can be quite creative with the application, so a little research can go far.

A balanced diet and eating regularly is essential to a healthy diet, but exploring the alternatives can often provide powerful tools for implementing characterisation and thematic messages in writing. Use them sparingly, but do use them if the opportunity arises.


Hear ye, hear ye!

Let it be known that honour and prestige are no longer limited to storybooks! Just as the storybook forum has its Dungeon Master Challenges, so too does the Roleplay Realm now have its own Dragon Master Challenge! For those daring enough to venture forth into the forbidding waters of roleplaying, submitted posts can earn fame and, more importantly, new badges!

What do these new badges look like, you ask? Well, shields are excellent for protecting against the many threats an adventurer must face, but what is a hero without his sword? Your first reward will be a humble bronze longsword, entirely adequate for dispatching weaker monsters. But as your repuation grows, each adoring fan earned will be mirrored by a more powerful enemy to defeat. For those who seek ultimate glory, only the holiest of blades, the Blessed Longsword, will suffice.



Do you have what it takes to survive the perils that await within the Roleplay Realm? If you think you do, then go, test your luck, and prove your might!





Monthly Dragonslayer

This month's featured Dragonslayer may seem harmless, but don't let appearances fool you; beneath the cuteness and warmth of her avvie lies a deadly stalker... Who else can it be but the blue-scarf-wearing, storybook-prowling @CoffeeCat? She is entirely capable of slaying wyrms, I assure you.

Displaying both impressive quantity and fabulous quality in her posts, this feline lady is not one to be underestimated. Her style of storybooking is simple: kind in conduct, yet fierce and elegant in execution. Her contributions are so astounding, even the staunchest of canine supporters would fight to have her on their team. The next time you launch a storybook, be sure to keep some non-decaf coffee in stock for recruitment.


New Challengers in the Ring

There are mysterious forces afoot. We know not whence they came or what their intentions are, but our resident pirate mage claims they are here to stay. Hailing from some obscure, shadowy dimension, the unknowable entity known as @EldritchArchivist, according to rumours, has ventured into the Seven Storybook Seas.

The motives of this being is too secretive to ascertain, even for the all-knowing Big Brother, but as long as they plan to continue storybooking, we who guard these seas shall reserve our broadsides for more sinister visitors. May your tread be silent and welcome.

Most Popular

@jimss23's Battle School allows for the ultimate creative freedom, encouraging a bonding of genres and vastly different characters. The setting's title might refer to heroism and physical finesse, but the school is actually open to all sorts of different training. And the best part about it is that authors can jump in and post whenever they want - jimss has been maintaining a handy dandy WFP to catch you up on all the posts! Therefore it's no surprise that it ended up being the most popular storybook of July!

Most Deserving Of Attention

Life as you know it is emptied away. You are placed inside of glass enclosures with some other humans and things you don't know. Callistonians, which are creatures with very white and slightly opaque skin, walk around these enclosures. They learn your lanaguage and learn from you. There are chances to where you could escape but who knows? It's your story afterall.

In this month's storybook by @Rydia, called Callisto deals with just that. It's a sci-fi wonderland that could have any type of ending. There are some spaces left and I highly suggest you join this amazing storybook to see what will happen!


Best Concept

King Bastian wants his socks. So gosh darn it, you'd better fetch his socks! It might not be the most glorious adventure a knight has ever been on, but it's deliver the socks or say goodbye to your head. Such a noble odyssey is the cobvious winner for this month's Best Concept, and in fact, we were so impressed with @Sassafras' Knights of San Guin that it knocked our socks off. Congrats!


Features From The Realm

If you go to an ambiguous location in your version of reality, you will find an old tavern called The Three Dragon Inn. This inn, created by the extremely talented @FalconryGirl9086 and proudly run by a woman named Thuki, will serve you some of the best meals and drinks you will ever have. Of course, even an establishment as fine as The Three Dragon Inn can never be completely free of trouble, and with the odd customers that occasionally stop by, calm is hard to find – drinking contests, fights and shady business is aplenty. But, despite this, it is a destination that all should visit during their travels.


Featured Geeks

It is the year 2251, and an avid role-player by the name of @MJTucker creates a role-play. That role-play is named Unravelling the Web, and tells the story of a world just recently ravaged by World War III. The countries band together to create a system which they believe will work, but when it doesn't, tension grows. Among its four members, nearly 27 pages have been written, and those 27 pages are a great read in your free time. So, consider checking out MJTucker's Unravelling the Web!





Captain's Challenge: Omens


It is August, YWS, and you know what that means--it is already spooky season until Krampus time, which is equally accursed and creepy for equal, yet different, reasons. We skip the turkey because, in my grandfather's words, "Ain't no turkey never done me good."

But your challenge is excellent as a primer for our windup to Spookybook Season! This is all about subtle, delicate, nuanced foreshadowing...dropping hints to coming events. Leaving a trail of metaphors or prophecies that your character may not pick up on. Maybe they do. How in-tune with the supernatural is your character? How poignant is their ESP? Here's the deal:

You shall receive two credits for weaving together an omen in your storybook post cleverly. It cannot be as simple as a bolt of lightning striking a cathedral where a grand boss fight will happen. Perhaps not even that grand. We ultimately will go by the honor system because we trust you. That is two credits. You may repeat this challenge three times for a maximum of six points.

To help you, I've compiled some idea sparks that you may search on your own:
1. Numerology
2. Floral Symbolism
3. Storm Symbolism
4. Animal Symbolism
5. Symbolic meanings of cards (numerology for a 52 deck, tarot for a fortune deck)


Recent Challenges

During the month of July, an extraordinary number of badges were earned. Eight new Adventurers stepped up to the scene, and so, eight couriers were dispatched to deliver the Paper Shields. Four former Adventurers proved their worth and received their Lead Shields as invitation to become official Recruits, and of these, one displayed immense enthusiasm and earned her Copper Shield as well! But with so many new faces, new Novices had to be appointed, and so five individuals were given their Bronze Shields.

Of course, it isn't only the neophytes who are included among the zealous, for our more seasoned storybookers also acquired fame and prestige. @Gravity, @Lael, and @XxXTheSwordsmanXxX earned their Peridot Shields and were consequently initiated into the ranks of the officers. Our oldest Disciple @Omnom graduated and now boasts an impressive Aquamarine Shield. The esteemed @Lumi showed him the ropes before himself being promoted to the rank of Captain, a Sapphire Shield the symbol of his new authority.

But some go beyond what is expected from them. Captains @TheSilverFox and @Rydia have proved themselves time and again, so it was only fitting that they become Knights of the Order. Their feats inspired another, the young @Sheytato, to work just as hard to earn his Ruby Shield. He did indeed earn it, yet he aspired to something higher. He aspired to become a Veteran of storybooking. Through sheer determination, his goal was reached. The Emerald Shield is his.

Congratulations to all who earned these badges, and congratulations to all those who earned credits during July at all! There were so many of you, we couldn't list you all by name. In a way, that makes your achievement even more memorable. Well done!




Your Staff for This Month...

This month, your crew may be summoned by whispering their names where sunlight never reaches and where hope never grows, for it is there where they will be most needed... Of course, the crew is available to provide assistance at all times, so if you aren't being hunted in some dark abyss, feel free to shout their names instead.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

As with the previous newsletter, Hunter who totally isn't referring to himself in the third person forgot to remind storybookers of the poll; worse still, he forgot to add the results to the newsletter post-submission. As this proves, it has been remedied. At least the number of votes were of a decent number.



Mere days before the newsletter's due date, Fantasy reigned supreme in first, but Sci-fi, Paranormal, and Adventure were in a three-way tie for second place. Though that has luckily since changed, we still have a tie. Fantasy holds first place with eleven votes, Adventure and Sci-Fi both hold second place with eight votes, and Paranormal just misses out and holds third with seven votes. The other genres received few to no votes, so our podium is still the safest bet for storybook creators.

Setting and Word Count with TheSilverFox

My studies in far too many English classes have taught me that there are four essential elements to most literature - characters, setting, plot, and theme. Setting, the physical (place and time) and mental (culture, running the gamut from religion to clothing) background of a story, is something that is particularly hard to convey well. Some stories may choose to paint broad strokes of the world behind a story, perhaps applying contradictory details where they exist; others may spend paragraphs delving into even minor scenes, breaking down each and every sensation.

Both are, as can be imagined, problematic. A story's setting is instrumental in the sense that it establishes the mood and tone of a piece, as well as the culture in which characters are raised. As each human being is the product of their experiences and how they are raised, setting is essential to comprehending a character's mindset in a way that the audience can relate to. Vaguely covering it is liable to create a less vivid work, one where characters are flatter, their motivations less understood. Without the ability to properly connect to such characters, the readers may feel apathy of them and their situation. Such is the death of a novel when those who read through it would be unaffected if the characters lived or died.

On the other hand, the weakness of setting is that it often slows down a story. Whether expressed by narration or in character's commentary, it adds layers of details that may interrupt even simple actions. After all, the setting is a backdrop; it's marginally passive. If overdone, suspense and drama is sucked from the story as they are buried in a pile of prose that may be interesting, but carries no spirit with it. If you are still here, you might already have gotten that impression, and I confess that overwhelming a story in details is one of my greater weaknesses.

Too, if you're used to my essays, you might be expecting me to suggest some kind of artful middle ground between two extremes. However, considering how general the topic of a setting is, as well as the sheer variety of literature, I can't necessarily give that kind of advice. It depends marginally on how fast you want the story to progress, and how much your audience cares about action vs. background. In some stories, the setting might be a small room with an amnesiac protagonist. In others, you might want to demonstrate how imposing/crucial/vivid something is by explaining it in detail. What it comes down to is what, of the four elements of literature, you would like to focus on most.

In general, I believe it to be best to describe physical settings in adequate detail when they first appear, mostly by pointing out the first few sensations an observer would notice. Get creative, and use as many senses as you can. If it is plot-important to highlight something less obvious, do so. In all subsequent cases, you may refer to those physical settings in more general terms, where you pick a shorthand that the audience can recognize as that locale. Mental settings, however, are a different story. As they're the culture of a world, and can thus appear at any time, it is best to intersperse them into conversations and descriptions. Don't repeat, and focus on important details where necessary.

It's possible that I will violate the above rules more than a few times in the future, thanks to my love for description. However, I've found the preceding paragraph to apply to my favorite stories, so I believe it to be a solid rule of thumb. Just remember that it's only one of four elements of literature - no perfect rendition of any of them can be effective if the other three are mediocre. So, best of luck for all of you as you pursue your writing, and keep in mind that it's still your story; as long as the four elements are handled decently enough, any story can be fantastic.




Monthly Dragonslayer

This dragonslayer is not just content with slaying dragons as a past time. She also finds enjoyment in fetching the glorious King's glow-in-the-dark socks, as well as dealing with ghosts and saving Japan. @soundofmind always is positive when it comes to the tasks given to her, and she eagerly completes every one of them. Her writing promises to bring you entertaining characters that will always put a smile on your face, no matter what the situation is.

New Challengers in the Ring

In spite of our clever manipulation of subliminal advertising most trustworthy, benevolent efforts, we haven't exactly had a bevy of new members this month. However, those who have appeared have left a friendly, memorable presence thus far. Case in point, @DarshayataDeka, though relatively new and inexperienced, has already written one SB post and is eager to be a member of the community. Her spirit has impressed us, as has her enthusiasm, ability to learn quickly, and willingness to cooperate with her fellow writers. For these reasons, we've allvoted and been more than happy to make her our new challenger of the month. Congrats!

Most Popular

We'll shoot straight for ya, SBers. In 1995, there was a country song that instilled in so many hearts what we today feel about lore in our writing. That song's chorus went: I like it, I love it; I want some more of it! And boooooy did we ever. Thankfully, @Lael came along with her gorgeous storybook, Heirs to Legend, and gave us an enormous quenching of our lore-thirst as if we were lore vampires in a lore desert beneath a blazing lore sun, and friends? She gave us the lore water and lore shade that we needed to turn back into proper pirates.

Off that tangent, Heirs to Legend is a story about seven warrior descendants who are claimed by a high council among the realm's races to be their legendary ancestors reborn. Their grand adventure and task is to drive back the evil forces of the Slyrinik; but can such a task be surmounted?

Find out more by reading Heirs To Legend, our most popular SB in August!


Most Deserving Of Attention

How can you know who you are if you don't know whence you came? This is a question that has bothered many a child missing one or both parents. In My Daddy Death, many teenagers and young adults are plagued by their fatherless status, though as the name suggests, the identity of their father is almost unbelievable... until it isn't.

@enjoyinginsanity chose a fitting concept for their first storybook after returning from the dead themselves (we mean this figuratively - absolutely no necromancy was involved). Just like the town of Reaper, her wall appeared to be quiet and uneventful. But now that an otherworldly beast has reared its head, we hope to see some interesting developments. If they are somewhat ominous or sinister in nature, all the better!


Best Concept

We can all agree that there's nothing like spending time vacationing to put off thinking of the arsenal of school/work looming constantly in the distance. The passengers on the cruise ship of @Holysocks' Red Sky in Morning certainly thought so. However, as no story can ever be so simple, their carefree time is all but over, thanks to the arrival of carinvorous mermaids. The passengers and crew now must find a way to keep themselves alive and drive back the invaders before they can be eaten or used in a much bigger, more mysterious strategy. Can they shuffleboard their way to stepping on dry land once again, or will whatever's left of them be sleeping with the fishes? A casual and relaxed SB with a dedicated group of writers, Red Sky in Morning promises to be an exciting adventure. So, cling onto the railing, look at the oceans ahead, and hope in the best travels for the SB's crew of wonderful writers!


Features From The Realm

Earlier this month, great forces were unleashed upon the realm...draconic and fel fleets flood the skies and dark places of the earth, and your aid has been requested in driving back the threats from our precious homes! The choice is yours, roleplayers: wield or wield not your swords; I ask this question all the same: do you have what it takes to Slay Dragons or Drive Back Hell?

We shall find out soon.




Captain's Challenge: Storybookers in Support of RevMo


It's RevMo this month but if you'd rather be adventuring than reviewing then we're happy to have you and your secret is safe with us!

However, as a tip of the hat to the season and all the hard work that has gone into planning the event, your challenge, in full review day style, is to use one of the following words in your post:

Fahrvergnügen
Schadenfreude

You will get 1 credit for each word used (you may use both in the same post) and a bonus credit if you also use the word 'review' or 'reviewing'.

That's a maximum of 3 credits per post and you can claim it up to 3 times so that's a potential 9 credits up for grabs!


Crew Challenge: Going the Distance


September is RevMo, so we have decided to issue another Crew Challenge to encourage some enthusiastic participation in our realm despite the reviewing frenzy. Making challenges will never have been as profitable.

Simply by creating a challenge, a Dungeon Master (or any other user with the ability to create challenges for an SB in which they participate but do not own) can earn a credit. If they include a challenge that requires the participants to submit posts above a specified length, they earn another credit.

For the cast of an SB, the CrC will work in a similar fashion: claiming credits for any challenge created during this month will earn them a bonus credit, and if they do this for a challenge that requires them to submit a post above a specified length, they will earn two more bonus credits. To make things fair, we'll say whoever created the challenge cannot earn these three additional credits.

Finally, if all participants of a storybook claimed credits for a challenge created during this month, even if it isn't the maximum number of credits, they all earn yet another credit. That means you can earn three to four credits for doing basically the same as usual.

Note that any individual may only claim the credits for making a challenge three times, otherwise we could end up with shameless point grabs. The credits for participation can be claimed an infinite number of times, however, as it would lead to more posts and more activity.

We pirates don't often share our loot, so plunder and pillage while the time is right! (It's not loot that we currently possess in any case, so it's not like we're losing anything.)


Recent Challenges

During the month of August, we saw challenges made by three of the forum's greatest presences: @Sheytato, @saentiel, and @Lumi. They created, in that order, one, two and four different SB challenges. Creating challenges is a good start, but a good finish is when they are completed - and at least one participant from each concerned SB claimed credits for its challenge.

Keeping track of the total number of credits earned is difficult, though, since many challenges from July were still active. And trust us when we say the storybookers were busy. These numbers are expected to drop somewhat owing to RevMo running this month, but we hope the Crew and Captain's Challenges will be sufficient to steal some attention away from the All Literary section. (We are pirates, after all.)





Your Staff for This Month...

Need a member of Storybook Crew? I hate to break it to you, but this month, they must needs be literally summoned. Reagents for the spell are listed below in ascending order of difficulty to loot:

♦ 44 Vials of Thundering Essence
♦ 16 Ounces of Falconwing Dew
♦ 4 Corporeal Dragonmaw Furies
♦ 401 Petals of Bohemian Sylphs, dehydrated
♦ 99 Ownerless Sabers, melted down and leather removed
♦ 213 Azraeldown, plucked from the Angelpine Forest




Most Popular Storybook Genres

August saw probably the most stable tally of all the months so far. Having said that, some interesting changes were suggested, so two old genres have been ditched, while two brand new ones are now available for your judgement.


Fantasy once again reigns supreme with nine votes, kicking Adventure, with only seven votes, back to silver. Third place, however, has for the first time ever been claimed by Drama. I actually had to double back to add it into the poll after removing it, since I hadn't even noticed it beat Sci-Fi, which has received a meagre two votes. Most astonishing of all was that all the other genres received an even two votes.

Nevertheless, we had to say goodbye to two of our genres, and since Sandbox and Tagbook I'm sorry for wrongfully removing you, Drama! have performed the worst these past few months, they were the unlucky ones. In their place we now have Horror and Romance, which have never featured before. We are all familiar with them, but see the poll's description in the thread (you can find it under General Storybook Discussion) itself for a short explanation. Note that the definitions of Paranormal and Supernatural have been slightly altered.

I'm glad we got a bit more interest this month! Time will tell whether the new genres will be received well.


Schadenfreude: A Tagbook!

It's everlong plagued YWSers to know the true meaning of Schadenfreude, and so with September's Tagbook, you will need no longer google it! As it says on the tin, it's simply the pleasure that comes from another havin' a baaaaad time. So we made a tagbook. About that.

Funny how the Captain's Challenge does the same thing, ain't it?

If you find yourself burned on reviewing this month and want a break, hop on into Schadenfreude for some good ol' prankalicious fun.


Sheytato's Night Out with soundofmind

For the Storybook Newsletter, I decided to interview @soundofmind, one of the single most active storybookers and roleplayers.

1: Where were you at the time of the murder? Just where exactly do you find the time and inspiration to participate in so many storybooks?

On my pirate ship. Where do I find the time? ...honestly, I don't know. I do rp's and sb's probably when I should be doing other things. But I do have a decent amount of free time if I make it for myself. Like, you know, if I don't forget to eat, or just in general, stop cultivating a social life.

2: Can you think of anything the victim did which could result in a grudge? You're also a huge roleplayer in the Roleplay Realm. So, what do you find appealing about roleplaying?

Well, they didn't reply to an sb for a month, so that probably stepped on a few toes. I like roleplaying because I get to write my characters in different situations and see how they respond to different personalities. It's fun.

3: How badly do you dislike my jokes about this being an interrogation? What originally got you into storybooking, and roleplaying?

I don't mind them at all, nor do I dislike them. What brings me in to a storybook or roleplay is honestly really, the people. And by that, I mean the people behind the characters. If I enjoy the people I'm writing with that makes all the difference. So take it as a compliment if I enjoy rp-ing or sb-ing with you cause it means I enjoy you as a person and like working with you.

4: Fine, you're innocent. Do you have any suggestions for newer users of the forum, or those who still have yet to try it?

Phew. *wipes sweat* Suggestions for new rp-ers would be to start with a character you're comfortable writing, especially if you're nervous about messing up. I know for me it helps take the pressure off because I'm not worried about character consistency and stuff - but at the same time, if you have the opposite problem and feel like you want to stretch yourself, I challenge you to start rp-ing with types of characters who are harder for you to write, because in the Roleplay Realm there's so much room to grow and it's really flexible. It's a place to learn. The same goes for storybooks! It's a big, fun, collaborative experience, and if you're committed and try your best you can learn how to do team writing in a fun and creative way!

Awesome! Thanks for your time, soundofmind!

Monthly Dragonslayer(s)

Potatoes are great. So is optimism. But do you know what's even better? Potatoes of positivity!

With nine and seven high quality posts respectively in the month of August alone, I'm sure you can sympathize with the fact that we couldn't just choose one over the other. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause is in order for an absolutely dynamic duo, @Sheytato and @saentiel, moldy pirate siblings who deserve this feature and so much more. Many thanks to both of you for your generous contributions to the storybooking world!

Seriously, you can't find a pair of more loyal and skilled storybookers. It must be genetic!

Note from a mystery captain: we are both thrilled to the bits to have you on our crew, Sheytato and saentiel; however, it's our necessary evil duty to inform you that this doesn't come with a pay raise.

Most Popular

Climb aboard The Hippocampus, the naval version of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Except it's way cooler. Not only can it drift among the stars and explore the tumbling galaxies, but it also breaks the rules of time and space, discovering hundreds of new planets, realms, and creatures! The creativity allowed in this storybook is astounding, and it's no surprise that it's as popular as it is, with ten posts in September right out of the starting gate. Check out @FalconryGirl9086's newest SB, and be dazzled by its magnitude.


Most Deserving Of Attention

It is a well known saying that cities never sleep. But when they do, people dream.

They dream of their hopes, and long forgotten memories. They dream of their loves, their hates, when they have loved, and when they have suffered. And all these dreams lead to one place, if you know how to get there: The Dust City.

@Terian805 breaks into the SB realm with a new concept, folks, and it's a roundhouse kick of Inception-meets-DC-Films in its opening post, where even the delivery of the fresh elements can send chills up your spine. From new takes on Lucid Dreaming to an evil organization selling dreamways for profit, Defenders of Dust City has plenty for everyone; and it's one that I personally recommend rushing the door for.


Best Concept

At the borders between the four kingdoms, there is the scarred forests of the calamity. And at their edges are the Outlands, a desolate wasteland home to just about every criminal heard of. That's right, @soundofmind's Outlands is this month's best concept! Five wanted fugitives are captured by greedy bounty hunters in the geographical badlands of the world with intentions of turning them in for the bounty on their heads. But these fugitives haven't escaped the law for this long only to get turned in, are they? What's going to happen? Will they be traded for cash and forced to pay for their crimes? Or will they escape the grasp of the law once again? There's only way to find out!


Double Trouble Feature Huddle

Do you have that one friend you love to write with? Are you feeling that feel between RP and SB, but can't quite scratch the itch? We have a cure-all for that, folks, and it's the Double Trouble Writing Huddle! Whether you go in with your partner in-hand or go in searching for one, you're bound to have fun in one of the superancient forums on YWS.

Never tried it before? You may absolutely adore it! We've had novels and full-blown projects come of DTWH through the years, so we suggest giving it a try today!


Features From The Realm
Featured Roleplayer

An ancient warrior, one whom had once graced us with her literary talent, was put into a deep slumber. She stirred from that slumber momentarily, only to drift back into it. A year later, she has awoken once more with a new fervor. A mystical place known as the Roleplay Realm had always slipped out of her grasp in her dreams, and she was determined to find this paradise. Armed with a repertoire of characters, excellent grammar and an enthusiasm to be envied, she has journeyed to the realm few dare to set foot in. Her name and story will forever be inscribed into the hall of legends, and all will look up to the hero @ardentlyThieving.

Featured Roleplay

Though none know exactly where it is, there is The Ruins. They were most likely left by the dwarves of long ago, but their exact purpose remains a mystery. Two travelers have taken refuge among the stone pillars and are prepared to spend the night among the unknown. Only time will tell what secrets The Ruins – and the travelers – hide.





Captain's Challenge: Shake, Rattle, & Roll


Welcome to October, Storybookers! You know, I am always wont to sway with these preambles, but I think this time I'll cut to the chase. Hehe. There's a local witch against whom I lost a wager, and she has demanded I gather reagents for her next big spell.

That's why I have you. We're essentially gonna shake, rattle, and roll, getting her some blood, screams, and roaches.

In a storybook post during October, include a shake: something taking damage; a rattle: auditory details in your post; and something that rolls: bugs.

For each included element, you will gain a point. If you combine the three elements (and this is only available if you use all three) you may claim a total of four credits.

This challenge may be undertaken twice for a masterful total of eight points, or six points if you do not shoot for bonuses.


Crew Challenge: Conversation Street


Do you like talking to people? Do you like getting credits? Are you a majestic potato king, looking to strike down the big bad wolf? Are you a proud wolf, looking for a good potato chip recipe? If so, this challenge would be perfect...but, unfortunately, it's a bit of a team effort.

The goal here is simple - post in DTs. There aren't any word limits, or topic requirements, or sacrifices you need to make to your storybook overlords anything of that sort; feel free to talk with your fellow writers about whatever you want. You can get 2 credits for writing 10 DT posts this month. We would prefer it, of course, if you actually talked, and didn't heap images on the hapless masses, but that's entirely up to you; just don't be surprised when we bombard your profile with our retaliatory ICBM missiles meme guns.

Now, here's the more complicated part. If everyone in an SB posts 3 times in a DT, they'll all earn an additional 2 credits. Actually, since some SBs have enormously large casts (*cough*Animorphers*cough*), a minimum of 7 people can meet requirements in order for them to receive these bonus credits. Of course, to keep it fair, only those who've met the requirements in 7+ member casts can get those credits.

So, all in all, that's the chance to get 4 credits just for posting in DTs. Try it out if you'd like; otherwise, just sit back and watch the potato-wolf war (my bet's on the potato).


Recent Challenges

September's Crew Challenge proved frighteningly effective at dispensing credits to noble adventurers. While it is true our veteran mods claimed most of the credits for creating challenges, rather than regular storybookers, many of our fine citizens claimed credits for completing the created challenges. A total of fourteen shields were awarded, ranging from humble-yet-heavy Recruit Badge to the illustrious and mythical Dungeon Master Badge. The crew is most impressed by everyone's efforts - let your magnificent efforts proceed!





Your Staff for This Month...






Most Popular Storybook Genres

September was somewhat quiet regarding the votes, seeing as many were preoccupied with reviewing and storybooking. Nevertheless, we saw some interesting results!


Fantasy again holds first place with five votes, as expected, but Adventure decided it felt like joining in with the golden usernames floating around by making it a two-way tie. Sci-Fi comes close in second place with four votes, while Mystery, intriguingly, takes third place with three votes. Our newewst genres didn't perform too well, seeing as neither got more than two votes, but storybookers seem more drawn to terror than cheesy love. Who would have thought?


Foreshadowing with BrumalHunter

The better a story's plot is, the better the story is overall - but as we all know, the quality of a story neither begins nor ends with its plot. In fact, the plot itself doesn't even have to be that good (whatever a good plot is anyway, nowadays), as long as its execution is well done.

Part of the execution of a plot is smooting the way for future events. The best way to do this is to plan ahead. Yes, improvising certain elements of your story is acceptable, and even advisable, but there is a difference between having a flexible route and making it up as you go along. Besides, if you know which important events are to occur in the near or distant future, you can foreshadow them. And that, dear storybookers, is key.

See, when you foreshadow something, it's like showing the hand of destiny to the readers. Many will fail to see it immediately, but for those who do notice, the revelation and subsequent confirmation of their suspicion is just as sweet as the suprise of the plot twist. It's because it made so much sense that it is received so well, but in order to ensure it makes sense, you must have hinted at it. It's basically a fun way of taunting your reader by revealing your hand without them noticing.

Of course, you don't actually want to give the game away, so your first hints have to be subtle. If they fly completely under the radar, that's fine, as long as you can refer back to them later on and prove to the readers they were there. And in fact, dropping this kind of hint as early as appropriately possible is a good idea, since the reader will be even more impressed by your ability to orchestrate events.

It's worth noting that while you want most readers to be surprised by a sudden development, you want at least some of the readers to see it coming. This is why more obvious hints should be given closer to the execution of the event. Not only is this logical, since you have less to lose if they do notice, but it's also what happens with such instances in reality. Although the noticeability of these clues is entirely up to you, it's recommended you have a few individuals to use as a measure of the vigilance of different kinds of reader. You know, so you don't leave breadcrumbs that are too obvious or too subtle. This balance is often quite difficult to achieve.

But why is it necessary to foreshadow future events? Is teasing the readers really that important? Duh, of course it is - but that doesn't mean there isn't another vital reason: preventing dei ex machinis. Latin for "an act of God", a deus ex machina is an unexpected resolution to a conflict, usually paying no heed to established circumstances. It is a cheap way of providing a solution to a situation for which the author hadn't planned enough. Understandably, readers hate it, as it cheats them out of an explanation. Some solutions might have been planned all along, but if you didn't at least hint at it, your readers might be dissatisfied. Foreshadowing therefore acts as a means of protecting yourself against unjust accusations of a lack of skill and originality.

After the event has taken place, it is often a good idea to refer back to all the hints you had left the readers. Not only does this further prove that the event itself, which may include or even be a solution, was planned long before the readers encountered it, but it also reveals your genius to the majority of readers who had missed it. (If they hadn't missed it, you might not have been as subtle as you had hoped.)

Having said that, some occurrences or references could be seen as foreshadowing when you hadn't planned that at all. If you mention that a certain character has a fear of, say, centipedes, then it will be expected that the character has to confront a situation involving centipedes at some point, be it a prank by a friend or an epic battle in a fantasy setting. You could argue it was to give the character depth, but that's why deciding how to illustrate depth of character or personality is significant. Therefore, consider how to foreshadow future events, but also consider whether a random input could be mistaken for a hint.

Though foreshadowing occurs in different stories in varying degrees, it inevitably appears in them all. This degree is entirely up to personal preference, however, so feel free to experiment. Whether your master plan taunts us at every turn or it is barely perceptible, you'll be certain to enjoy your readers' expressions of, "I should have seen it coming!"





Monthly Dragonslayer!

This month's Dragonslayer is a long time storybooker who in recent months has grown increasingly active in the section. Her posts are high quality, her contributions to the story are wonderful, and she's overall a great person. That's why this month's Dragonslayer is @Lael. She's a member of several storybooks and has no trouble keeping up with any of them. She's also very recently climbed her way up and up and up on the Storybook Badges and Challenges leaderboard, reaching heights most storybookers will never reach in their lifetime. She herself is even running a rather successful storybook, Heirs to Legend. It's for these reasons that we decided Lael is a role model to aspiring storybookers, and thus featured her as the monthly Dragonslayer. Let's give her a round of applause!


New Adventurers!

This month, we have gathered two new precious seafarers from the Seven Storybook Seas, and of course we're ever wont to praise their walking our shores! Our first member to welcome aboard is @Strident, the second nephew of Neptune, twice removed, who puts pride in his work of character depth and development.

Our second swashbuckler is @WanderingCloud, whose whimsy and fury are met by none but the true clouds themselves! We suggest, for sunny skies and breezy air, to hoist this one aboard yer ships for yer next journeys.

Welcome to the City of Sanctum, you two! May the sunny wind fill your sails 'til sea swallows all!

Most Popular

Tagbooks are popular, right? Duh, what a silly question! They're so popular, we decided to give our forum's regular members a shot at hosting them! And wow, the first time after doing that, the concerned tagbook has already made four pages. Four! That has to be a new record.

@soundofmind's October tagbook, the The S.S.Y.W.S., took the month by storm, eliciting an impressive 47 posts through strategic tagging and skillful storytelling! We would love to share more details about the adventure so far, but come on, it's four pages - that's at least an hour's reading on a cold, autumnal day. So the next time you're bored and in need of a hot beverage, you know which link to follow. Mods aren't allowed to be stoned for making puns, so watch it.


Best Concept

Have you ever wanted to be a mutant? A reaper? Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but that will likely never happen. (Unless you've gotten help from someone, maybe a mad scientist or something. If so, send me a PM.) However, in the The Eclipse Horizon, brought to life by the wonderful @KiraThePotatoChip, you can come pretty close. Once again, Kira has created a great concept for a storybook, with plenty of room for new members (yay)! As a mutant/reaper/vampire/other-cool-spooky-thing, you are to work with the other mutants/reapers/vampires/other-cool-spooky-things to protect the largest city in the world, the Nebulae. If it falls into shadows, so will humanity. No pressure, or anything. Of course, your mission is to save the world, but don't forget to live a "normal" life. Good luck.


Features From The Realm

Featured Roleplay: Valley of Unending Night

This roleplay, that started back in February, has an "unending" feel to it. The creator of the roleplay, @Lumi, begins off with his character and from there, more and more joined. It is a rag tag type of group that deals with the unexpected that are lurking inside the valley. Every post is lovely to read and it is welcoming all to join! If you enjoy a good sense of unexpectness and creating fun characters, this roleplay is for you!

We would be remiss if we did not feature one of our keynote roleplayers from the forum; and so this prestigious feature this month goes to @ardentlyThieving, whose characters enthrall us, whose turns of roleplay entertain us, and whose posts always come just in time to keep us on our toes. We've got our eyes on you, ardy! And we like what we see!



Captain's Challenge: Bursting Balloons


Guess what, it's Birthday month! And it wouln't be a birthday if there weren't any big, beautiful balloons! So balloons are pretty nifty, right? They make kids smile and they're really happy and cheerful and awesome, right up until that moment when they pop.

This month, I want to see posts which have a bubble and a pop - they don't necessarily have to start out happy but somewhere in your post, I want to see a genuinely super perfect moment and then I want you to describe the moment it suddenly disappears. And that's really key - the pop has to be sudden and instantaneous. Then what happens next? Do they find another balloon and it's all okay because hey, shiny new balloon or is the moment lost forever? That's up to you! But I'll give you 3 credits for completing the challenge and you can complete it up to 3 times.

Recent Badges

This section will henceforth be used for congratulating those who earned badges during the previous month, as well as providing the narrative that usually went in the forum itself. (The update on the Storybook Region League will still happen there, though.) A total of sixteen badges were earned, which is insane! That's, you know, two-to-the-power-of-four insane!


Three new Adventurers have caught the attention of the Order of the Storybook! @Synnoev, @Strident, and @sherlockhson have all been sent their Paper Shields. We are unsure how much incentive they provide, but considering Strident accomplished feats worthy of a Lead Shield and the honour of being the order's newest Recruit, it must provide enough!

One of our Recruits recently passed her first trial and received her Copper Shield as reward. The Initiate to whom she has been Apprenticed is none other than the newly promoted @Feltrix, who not only passed his second trial with applomb, but also performed marvelously in his duties as Novice. Since our blacksmith ran out of materials last time, he will receive all three shields at the award ceremony.

But Feltrix isn't the only member of the order to enjoy his new status as officer. The honourable @soundofmind also earned her Peridot Shield, becoming both a junior officer and a junior moderator for the Emperor of All Knights! (Do not question our sovereign's titles.) Meanwhile, another Initiate was deemed ready to oversee the Novices and begin training for his final trial. We refer to @XxXTheSwordsmanXxX, who has laboured long and hard to earn this significant promotion and his glimmering Amethyst Shield.

We congratulate not only those who train at the castle, but also those who risk their lives outside the safety of these walls! Warrior @Omnom proved himself capable of dispensing justice in the order's name, thereby proving himself worthy of a Silver Shield. And who better to serve as his new Captain than the stalwart sentinel @saentiel? With her brilliant Sapphire Shield, I am certain she will inspire faith and courage in all who fight under her banner.

Another of our Captains, @Wolfical, recently uncovered a most sinister plot (the details of which are currently classified) and put and end to the nefarious schemer's machinations. For her diligence and bravery, the High Council as we have decided to call ourselves has granted her the most prestigious honour of serving as a Knight of the Order. Her Ruby Shield will strike awe into all who gaze upon it, and they will know the true strength of our members.

This has been a long time coming, and in the face of especially harrowing danger and immense difficulty, but Knight @Steggy has finally earned her place as overseer of the officers! We are absolutely delighted to grant her the esteemed rank of Veteran. No longer will she serve us abroad, a fearless diplomat in hostile courts; rather, she and her Emerald Shield will shine as a beacon of hope to our trainees and mentors alike.

Finally, we are most, most pleased to proclaim that @Lumi has reclaimed his true place as a member of the High Council. His glorious Gold Shield will stand as a testament to time of his tenfold dedication and sacrifice. With his wisdom, he may now lead the order as none before.

Let us rejoice in the acclaim our members have attained for both them and our order, and cheer on those who aspire to greatness!





Tomes From the Tower

This month, we'd like to follow a theme and guide you to three tomes that deal with sharing...the right way. See, you may share the proper amount of details in a scene of intrigue, of combat, of romance, you may overshare, you may undershare; however, there are also cases where the details shared don't catch quite well and throw the reader off-track. Let's avoid that.

Show and Tell by @CastlesInTheSky
Description by @Rydia
Verbs Are The New Adjectives by @Megrim

As always, these fine tomes are brought to you by the Knowledge Base, home of our sacred tomes of gratuitous knowledge.


Your Staff for This Month...

We run on holiday magic for the rest of the year! Considering such, please place cranberries and candy canes in our collection basket and one of our staff will be magically transported to your location anywhere in the seven storybook seas! However, this month we introduce to you someone we've been in need of for an eternity and a half! A COOK! Everyone please welcome our new matey, soundofmind to the crew! She'll be signing autographs at your leisure.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

BrumalHunter (who is totally speaking in third person and finding it immensely awkward) wishes to apologise sincerely for forgetting to upload the poll results. He realises the results won't be entirely accurate, but he hopes not too many people have voted since the newsletter was submitted - sadly, that is likely the case.


Fantasy remains the rightful victor, having earned nine out of twenty-nine votes. In second place is Adventure, with six votes - storybookers don't appear to be in the mood for daring escapades during November. In third is Sci-Fi, standing above the tallies of one and two with a tally of four votes. Though the results don't mean too much, at least the most popular genres in the public's general view still remains the same.




Monthly Beastslayer!

As always, the Storybook forum is overridden by beasts that need slaying. Posting, collaborating, completing challenges, among other activities, slays these beasts. And so, we like to recognize the specific adventurers who have offered us support in defeating these beasts. This month, we would like to recognize the adventurer @Feltrix! Over the past thirty days, he collected 14 points from Storybook challenges, an extremely high number. He also participated in several storybooks, but despite having so much on his plate, he never let his posts' quality drop, and has created some awesome characters too. I can say from personal experience that he is a wonderful member and dungeon master of any storybook, and we're glad to have him slaying beasts for us!


Featured Challenger!

Earning eight credits this month, and standing proudly as our very first featured challenger, let's turn the limelight to the yawning yellow lab @ajruby12!

True to the nature of the friendly labrador doggy, ajruby12 has eagerly fetched the points for different challenges in several different storybooks! And as expected, they're always entertaining and quality posts! AJ skillfully takes the challenges and runs with them, creatively filling their posts with vivid details and funny jokes. You can count on this pooch to create a cool scene for characters to run around in! Be it describing a new alien race for a bunch of space adventurers to meet, setting the scene for a meeting of lousy superheroes, or just fooling around on the S.S.Y.W.S, AJ is your faithful furry friend for the job.

Good job ajruby12!


New Adventurers!

This spooky season brought with an abundance of new pirates to help man our ghostly ship! After showing their skills in battle - and when cleaning the poop deck - we've decided that these five swashbucklers deserve to be recognized by their fellow adventurers.

In a galaxy quite like our own, @EternalRain helped an unconscious prisoner escape. By using her powers of writing and a love for Voltron, she brought a storybook back from the maw of death itself. [Voltron: The Protectors]

In yet another part of the universe, @whatchamacallit had a tense encounter with a group of mysterious aliens and brought the starting arc of an intergalatic tale to a close.

Though she didn't partake in an epic quest, @AliceinBluue was mastering the arts of magic before being assigned an important task by the queen of a kingdom. (The Curse of the Phoenix)

Over on the deck of the SSYWS, @alliyah braved the depths of the Main Library in an attempt to submit her article but instead found her beloved books deep under water and was forced to join the battle against the strange, green waves.

Further out then anyone else, all the way out, out in The Outlands, @sherlockhson and his comrades planned a most daring escape but even with a little time magic on their hands, will they be able to pull it off?

Most Popular

In the fair city of Megapolis, crime runs rampant. A major crime syndicate, the Malevolents, are so large that the police force is not enough to stop them. And so comes the Metro Monitors.

Monitors? I thought Metro Muscle was the final decision.

You already had this debate, with the wonderful creator of The Mighty Metro Monitors , @ajruby12, in a conversation which I'm clearly modeling after. She said it would be Mighty Metro Monitors, and a disembodied voice represented by italicized text would not say otherwise.

I'm more than that! I'm Super Captain Coolman, leader of the Mighty Metro… Monitors, a group of the absolute greatest superheroes the world has ever seen!

Lousy superheroes is the proper term. AJ said it herself. Sorry, that's just the way it is. You guys aren't exactly the greatest superheroes. Then again, you're also the citizens of Megapolis's last hope, so I guess you'll have to step up to the challenge.

We'll do more than just step up to the challenge! We'll step over it! Onto it! Into it! Un-

Okay, I think this conversation has given the reader a chance to understand the storybook, and hopefully give it a read as it comes together. Anyway, I'm gonna end this segment so they can keep scrolling.

Step through the challenge! Step-

Good bye.


Most Deserving of Attention

Before anything, there was the force, and after everything, there shall still be the force. Star Wars: Transendence, created by @KiraThePotatoChip, occurs during the reign of the 50th Galactic Emperor, long after the fall of the New Republic. There are no Jedi and Sith. Check it out, and have fun creating your own adventures in a galaxy far far away.


Best Concept

Coming to a YWS theater near you is Starlight! In this thrilling storybook, created by the amazing @Elinor, it first begins with the murder of Karen Richardson, who was in search of a better life. She ended up moving to Hollywood and made it big there, but sadly, it ended when police found her body murdered and dumped in an alleyway. And now, everyone in Hollywood is fearful that they could be next. Some also speculate that Vitophone, a movie company that takes in rejects from the bigger movie companies, is also behind it.

With twists and confessions galore, this storybook is worth watching reading!


Features From The Realm

Whoosh, shhh, shaa. You hear that? Oh yeah? Well that's the sound of The Sea. Or rather, not just the sound of the actual sea, but the sound of this roleplay realm thread that is bursting with activity! Here we have a ragtag group, landing on the shores of a new land. Over the course of and impressive seventeen whole pages, our little group has been exploring and learning about this new world, but most of all, learning about each other! Take a peek at The Sea and learn about these character's stories!

Two of the shining starts have been the two lovebirds: Rin and Kilian, and for their valuable contributions to the plot and momentum of the roleplay we glady thank @Lael, who has been amazingly contributing to the rp with quality, interesting posts that drive things forward! Give a big hand for Lael! <3





Captain's Challenge: Dreams of Ice


This month, we're feeling generous in our point-giving, storybookers! After all, tis the season of giving and all that jazz! So we'd like to offer up three challenges for the season, about the season, by the season.Each of these may be collected only once per YWSer! So leap at the chance to claim them while you can!

Challenge One! Have your character dream or daydream about whatever your world's equivalent of our holidays are. Build that lore! My personal favorite is Candlenights from The Adventure Zone! This will garner you three points, but your (day)dream must be more than five sentences.

Challenge Two! Have your character interact with snow or ice in one way or another, and reflect on how it makes the character feel. Nostalgic? Cold? Powerful? Weak? Explore that. This is worth three points.

Challenge Three! Create a storybook challenge for a storybook you own or that you are participating in this month involving Dreams, Holidays, Snow, or Ice. This is also worth three points only to the creator of the challenge.

YOU MAY SPLIT the challenges among different storybooks and/or storybook posts as long as they roll in and are claimed during December. In total, you may get 9 points from this Captain's Challenge, though Challenge Three will be a stumbling block, I'm sure. Rise to the occasion, though. I double dog dare you.


Recent Badges

Despite November being dedicated mostly to the writing of novels, the Storybookers of the Order were as busy as ever with their training and adventuring. A total of nine badges were earned, which is most certainly impressive for what was supposed to be a quiet month.

We welcome the Adventurer @FigrothFelanor to the scene! He is apparently training to become some manner of hunter, so we wish him luck and hope his Paper Shield will reach him safely.

We heard along the grapevine that the aforementioned Adventurer's Mentor is none other than the Recruit @AllisontheWriter, who is a Recruit no more, for she has passed her first trial! At this rate, she could be a Novice by the time her friend joins the order, which would make her his literal mentor. In the meantime, may she bear her Copper Shield with pride while she prepares for her second trial!

Speaking of second trials, two of our number have passed theirs! One is the ambitious and enthusiastic @ajruby12, who has only been a member of the order for a short time, while the other is the celebrated and wise @Tortwag, who had preferred exploring over training for most of his time at the order. Nevertheless, we are delighted these two individuals have realised the value of dilligence, to which their Brass Shields attest.

Although she admitted she will miss looking after the Recruits, @ScarlettFire announced it was time to help the newer members on a more personal level. We therefore happily promoted her to Initiate, where she can now inspire her Apprentices with her new Peridot Shield.

In news outside the citadel, @Lael has elected a Captain under which to serve, and thus, we shall award her with a Silver Shield of her very own, to be presented at the customary ceremony. May she battle with honour and integrity beside her fellow Warriors.

One of our Captains recently displayed such outstanding skill, we couldn’t but offer her the coveted rank as Knight. With her new Ruby Shield, @saentiel will strike awe and fear into all who dare oppose her. (But she will just as readily rally the troops and bring cheer to the most downcast of regions.)

Amongst our most valiant Knights – which include them all, to be clear – two have proved themselves invaluable. The only way we could fathom to honour these brave souls is to bring them back to the their home and let them share their wealth of experience will all in their care. It is with great joy that we announce @Rydia and @Wolfical are now Veterans of the Order! Whether you marvel at their prestige or their glorious Emerald Shields, these two lovely ladies will most certainly be a marvellous sight indeed.





Tomes From the Tower

You're sitting in front of your device of choice. You're itching to make a new storybook, but you don't know where to begin. It may or may not be your first storybook. Even if you have a few under your belt, you've hit a seeming unconquerable dead end.

Fear not, adventurer, for the tower contains the tomes you seek.

Idea Development - From "Ehh" to "Ooh" delves into how easy it is to take an inkling of an idea and fully develop it into an engaging, creative story.

Then you will need Villain Clichés to Avoid. This tome covers the creation of an incredibly crucial aspect of a storybook - an interesting villain.

The last tome you will need is Writing a Character From a People Group Not Your Own. After reading through this lengthy tome, you will know how to create a diverse cast for your storybook.

If you wish to further browse the Tower for more wise tomes, you can go through the magical portal.


Your Staff for This Month...

We run on holiday magic for the rest of the year! Considering such, please place cranberries and candy canes in our collection basket and one of our staff will be magically transported to your location anywhere in the seven storybook seas!




Most Popular Storybook Genres

Even though the number of votes the poll received is fewer than during any other month this semester, there is still a sufficient total to indicate the clear winners. December will certainly show better statistics, seeing as National Novel Writing Month will be over.


Unbelievable though it may seem, Fantasy is no longer in first place! Adventure decided it had enough of playing second fiddle, so it snatched first place with five votes. Fantasy is only a single vote behind, however, so the rankings will probably return to normality next month. As usual, Sci-Fi is third with three votes.




Monthly Beastslayer!

Let me tell you, friends, little is more satisfying than watching a huntress slay her prey with nothing but her razor-sharp wit. This month, our Beastslayer is the Queen of Sass and pun-maker extraordinaire, @Ventomology! If you haven't yet seen her work, then you're missing out on the snarkiest of comments and the best (or worst?) of puns.

The slain beast that caught our eye in particular is her latest post for the ancient and intimidating Pokemon MysteryDungeon: The Seventeen Plates of Arceus. It had been hibernating for half the year, but our beloved Buggie decided it was finally time for it to wake from its slumber. Her post provided excellent entertainment, as usual, and is certain to inspire hope in its participants to write more, now that its third anniversary draws closer. Well done to Ventomology, and good luck to the PMD cast!


New Adventurers!

What's that? No new adventurers? That can't be right... Well, it was November, so novelists were probably too busy working on their own projects than diving into the fantastic world of collaborating. (The poor souls don't know what they're missing.) Stay tuned for next month, then!

Many Posts! Handle It!

For this month's most popular storybook, we've got the featured Shattered Moons! We noticed this fractured orb in the sky picking up in activity at the end of this past month and are very impressed! Take a look at this heroic saga featuring two groups of four Huntsmen who have to face a rising threat in their war-torn world together. And congrats to the team behind the brave cast, for plowing forward and building the story together so quickly! What's gonna work? Teammmmwork!

All Eyes On Me!

The storybook which earned the newly renamed title of All Eyes On Me! for December of 2017 is a storybook you've not likely heard of. But the objective of this section is to change that! And so, turn your gazes--your hopeful gazes, if you will--to @JustPerks's Hopeful Gazes. This storybook does so many great things! It focuses on the untouched topic of negative karma from positive actions, it places normal kids in an abnormal situation, and it even offers me the opportunity to include poorly-written puns based on the title. But most importantly, it's looking for 4 more members! If this sounds like your cup of tea, I'll bet you could really brighten some hopeful gazes by checking it out. I wish good luck to the cast of this gem with the future of this storybook!


Profiles, Plots, & Tater Tots!

Ahoy, mateys! While sailing th' seven seas, yer crew discovered quite th' wonderful treasure. Goin' by th' name o' Black Flags and Blue Waters, this beautiful gem tells th' tale o' something we pirates know the best – bein' a pirate! But this be not th' usual pirate tale. It be set in th' year 1714, an' tells a historically accurate account of sailing th' seven seas. Even privateers, th' Spanish Navy an' the British Royal Navy take part in this epic tale. We pirates were rather impressed by th' quality of this marvelous treasure. While our crew usually keeps our treasures to ourselves, we be glad to share this one with ye.



Features From The Realm

From the realm of, well, the realm, a few wonderful RPs have risen from the woodwork. Chief among them is @Lael's A House with Many Doors, which has enjoyable a sizeable amount of activity since its creation last November. Its 8 pages of content makes it among the most prolific RPs in recent times, and the concept itself - trying to escape a strange house by opening doors engraved with marks that match those on people's hands - is stellar. Thanks to its dedicated base of writers and engaging writing, A House with Many Doors appears to have a bright future ahead of it. Of course, since RPs are open, anyone is welcome to join at any time, so long as they cooperate and follow the rules. So, why not give it a try?





Captain's Challenge: Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot...


Happy New Year, YWSers! With the brand-new year ahead of us, we'd like to see something new through the eyes of our characters in the storybook realm. If you've ever looked at someone and thought they seemed familiar...just...familiar...but not known exactly where you knew them from, you may have a head start on this challenge.

For January 2018, we want you to produce scenes where you sew seeds of future or past plots by introducing or passing a vague NPC who will mean something to the storybook's plot. Obviously this can't be multiplied inside the same storybook by the same person...but it can be done in others.

So we'll break it down like this! For every fateful encounter you have describing a forgotten or new acquaintance in a different storybook, you will receive two points, up to four storybooks for up to eight points total!




Recent Badges

December was, as expected, a quiet month. The realm's adventurers took some deserved time off. Yet evil never rests, and therefore, we have a few brave warriors to laud for keeping the forces of chaos at bay during the season of merriment and cheer!

Firstly, the Adventurer @FigrothFelanor has proved his competence in battle and therefore earns the honour of joining our most honourable order! Though the Lead Shield of a Recruit may be heavy, we are certain he shall not view the responsibility he has taken upon himself as a burden, but rather as a privilege.

Meanwhile, the Initiate @soundofmind has steadfastly trained her Apprentices! She might have thought her hard work went unnoticed, but the eyes of the Dungeon Masters see all. We are delighted to announce her promotion to Disciple! Her Amethyst Shield will do well to encourage her during this final time of preparation and training. Good luck!

Finally, Warrior @Omnom has succeeded in his endeavour at last! During many an adventure, he risked life and limb to ensure the safety of his fellows. His valiance and leadership is heartening to see - as such, we have deemed him fit to assume control of a party of his own! With his glorious Sapphire Shield, he is certain to serve as a shining example of nobility in his new role as Captain.

And so, with these courageous souls protecting the innocent, the Order of the Storybook is elated to proclaim our confidence in safeguarding all you hold dear within the coming year. May we all find fortune and prosper!




Tomes From the Tower

Plucked (and that is all the Resources Crew needs to know, sssshhhh) from the illustrious halls of the tower, this month's books emphasize the characters. Whether they save the day or wave a sign on the street advertising good haircuts, it helps that they be complex, relatable, and well-written. Even minor characters deserve a bit of love, because they have the potential to pop out of flat character stickland and enrich the SB's world. Great characters add to resounding plots, reflect settings, and emphasize proper themes. So, how does one write them effectively?

@thunder_dude7's tome on Advanced Character Development provides some basic ways to contemplate character personality and backstories.

For something more complex, try Writing Rounded Characters by @eldEr. This gives the chance to create a balanced, well-developed character through research, a focus on detail, and experimentation.

Lastly, @OliveDreams's tome Creating the Perfect Secondary Character does a fantastic job of outlining the roles and benefits of less significant characters. I know I tend to gravitate to minor characters more than major ones, anyways.

As always, these tomes, and many others, can be found in the Knowledge Base, which has proudly lived up to its titular purpose of spreading wisdom to members of YWS for years.



Your Staff for This Month...

So, storybookers, you may have noticed that the bay has mightily frozen over...

How are we handling this, you ask? With ice-skating tournaments and the construction of an icebreaker ship named in the glory of a forerunner of our glorious crew, The S.S. Alteran. Will it have space capabilities? We would be strung up by our souls if it didn't. Or some Persona-relevant reference. I can't do all of them properly, after all. Anyway, if you're out on the ice and you find yourself on the thin of it, call out for one of our swift and light-footed crewmen for help! Our professional pen names can be found below...




Most Popular Storybook Genres

Though the Storybook Crew and several dedicated storybookers attempted to garner more votes for the poll during December, the festive season simply lures too many users away from the site. It is unfortunate that we couldn't even reach fifty votes, but the tally is nevertheless superior to the majority of months throughout 2017.


Fantasy had thougth that it would reclaim its spot in first place, but its eleven votes fell just shy of Adventure's twelve, forcing it to conclude the old year in second place. Sci-Fi maintains its third place with seven votes, but Mystery is right behind it, with six votes. Besides Paranormal, few other genres gathered much interest. Perhaps certain members of the staff find that news encouraging...

We shall see whether old trends remain or give way to the winds of change in the fabulous year that we hope 2018 will be!




Monthly Beastslayer!

Our storybookers always prove the pen (or the keyboard) is mightier than the sword, but the mightiest of them all is this month, and indeed for the entire year, is @Tortwag! We of the Storybook Forum hold him in exceptionally high regard; below is a quote from one of our regular users to affirm our collective admiration for this passionate writer.







For those who aren't familiar with this zany and enthusiastic storybooker, the Shell Master Explorers club is the first place you should visit. Created by fans of Tortwag's writing, it serves as a nexus for updates on his activity all over the site. Though he participates in diverse storybooks, ranging from the dark Aether to the comical Rei, he is most well known for his Pokémon-related writing - recently, this includes Pokébook VI: World Tour, but has classically consisted of Pokémon MysteryDungeon: The Seventeen Plates of Arceus.

In fact, his character for PMD, a brilliant but potentially mad Flaaffy named Twinkiel Thunderfleece, has gained such popularity that a work for him reached the Literary Spotlight! If that doesn't convince you of his writing prowess, I suppose you'll simply have to read it yourself. For writing unrelated to Pokémon, you can always read Muster Heroes, the novel that saw him emerge as the Victor of Last Man Standing II. Impressed yet?

Tortwag, we are all honoured to have a writer of your skill among us, and we hope that you will continue to regale us with your boisterous and poignant tales for years to come.



What a year. New and old people have been coming together to create new worlds through their posts in different storybooks. However, we are going to focus on three maginificant newbies, who stumbled into the seven seas of storybooking. Each one has posted at least once in a storybook and we can't wait to see what the future for all of them might hold. Please join us by raising your glasses of whatever you may need, in congratulating @WanderingCloud, @FigrothFelanor, and @Thundahguy on being the new adventurers of the new year!

Many Posts! Handle It!

Like a Gyarados in the middle of the ocean, the sixth in Lumi's captivating series, a love letter to the Pokémon franchise, Pokébook VI: World Tour has made quite the splash in the storybook forum since it first appeared last March. It's sure to be a great read, especially for fans of the series! Following seven young people who've known one another through a Pokemon fanclub and Skype are going to meet for the first time at the festival, it's sure to be a thrilling read as you see what it takes to be the very best!


All Eyes On Me!

For the Storybook veterans out there, it's truly a marvelous sign when we get a Storybook from none other than @ScarlettFire herself, the most veteran-y veteran out there (is that an old joke? The world may never know). Her newest Storybook, The Frozen Falls is not just any Storybook, but a Steampunk one at that! Steampunk! And, it's a classic mystery that unravels as the main characters go to a high-fashioned ball to retrieve something very powerful and dangerous. What more could you ask for than high fashion and high stakes? Go join! I'm sure she would appreciate it if you do.


Profiles, Plots, & Tater Tots!

In the conflict of the 1970s, Eagle Rock is the escape that its occupants desperately needed. They have eagerly followed a man named Jay into their peaceful new paradise. But @Elinor's newest storybook tells a much darker narrative than Eagle Rock appears to be. Jay's paradise is not an escape - it's a destructive cult. The storybook is rated 16+ due to its mature themes, but it's bound to be a thrilling read based on the premise alone.


Features From The Realm

The RR community isn't one of the biggest around, and we always appreciate new blood, whether in our RPs or our members. This month's two nominees, one plucked from each category, demonstrate that exact youth and vigor we admire. The member has written a good number of high-quality posts in several equally-prolific RPs, especially demonstrating skill in constructing memorable characters. Meanwhile, the RP, created only about a month ago, already boasts 11 pages, an intriguing concept, and a dedicated group of writers (including our nominated member, which explains some things). Thus, for 2018, we'd like to celebrate @RaidenCheese, as well as @saentiel's The Haunted Mansion! Keep up the good work!


New Books on the Block

Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here? A new part of a the newsletter? Quite! This area has been inspired by @Danni88 over at our very own Newsletter discussion thread (you know we have a DT, right? Well, now you do! It's over here, but you already knew that)

We'll run down the newest Storybooks to enter our realm, whether or not they're accepting, and a little blurb about them to get you spiced up and ready to join them.


Welcome to Martin Luther University! Whether you're returning or a new member here, it's requested that you join a a Sorority, Fraternity, or a Fratority! Who knows what connections, friendships, and rivalries you'll make in this school?



Welcome to Hogwarts. You are the students who lived their lives with the famous Harry Potter. While you weren't a central part of what happened in his historical story, you were their to experience everything that happened. Who were you, and what did you do during his fourth year?



You are a part of seven, tasked by a mysterious woman to infiltrate a masquerade ball and retrieve something valuable. What it is, and why you're important in getting it, is unknown to you, but something stirs in this steampunk world, something that hasn't stirred for thousands of years. And, like it or not, you've just been caught in the middle of it.



Welcome to the Void! You're a supervillain, or just not a very nice person in general, and you've been sentenced to live -or die, we don't know what's in there- in the Void, an endless alternate dimanional prison. There's a rumor of someone knowing a way out of this inescapable place, but first you must fight for control in a land full of bad people with too much power.



Welcome to a world where you have an alter ego. Filled with ideas limited only by your imagination, what will you do with the other being in your head? You are stronger, but you are also battling for control with these other personalities. You have been sent to The Abyss, a place of purgatory, and you must fight to escape, but first you must master yourself to do so.



You wake up in a prison in the mysterious country of Tersa. You, along with your cellmates, must escape it and find your way back to your homes before you are executed by a mysterious group of hero-haters named The Black Bolts.



Nestled in an unknown pocket dimension, apart from all influence from good and evil, has stood for a timeless count: The Academy For Heroes-In-Training. After releasing six documentaries following the lives of its students, FOX Films picked up the rights and have revived the vitality of a franchise rife with budget cuts and cutaways. In the seventh edition, you may expect to see our heroes grow in strength, in mind, and in spirit as they gruel the greatest test of all: life as adolescents learning to cope with their identities. There will also be lots of action and punches 'n' stuff! Don't miss it!



You meet either Jay or Alex, who invite you to a place called Eagle Rock, where everything seems perfect and finally your life makes sense. However, Eagle Rock has become an infamous place, and it's not a good reputation. Sinister things are smelting at Eagle Rock, and now you're caught in the middle of it. Will you figure it out before its too late, or will you find yourself willingly inside this cult machination?



There was no war, no anything that happened in the book here in this SB. Everything in the Blood camp is the same as the Bones camp, except for one thing: the people here seem...weird? Crazy? Silly?! Everyone's god powers seem to be over-exaggerated, though not extremely powerful. Who knows what kind of future quests these campers will partake?




Captain's Challenge: Be Cultured


This month celebrates the African-American Heritage in the states, and the crew wanted to get in on the celebration! So, to spearhead this notion, we're going to lay some love on your lore--your story's own heritage.

This month's challenge is rather simple, really, and requires no exquisite explanation! I'll mark it up for you here: Your challenge is to

1. Have your character(s) reflect on a moment in history that defined their culture. (2 pts)
2. Dedicate a decent portion of your post to a reflection of your character's ancestors. (2 pts)
3. Imagine how another character of a different race, creed, or even species may feel due to a situation in the story. (2 pts)

All may be completed individually with no tie to the other and still garner you points, and you may cash in different ones at different times. That said, the max points for this challenge is six (6) points. Enjoy your February!

Recent Badges

What with people returning from vacation and preparing for the start of school - or the preparing to resume the semester, if you're not one of the cool kids and hail from the northern hemisphere (joking! not really XD) - January was another quiet month. However, that's a far cry from saying our dilligent storybookers rested on their laurels.

Ahem. *adopts formal tone* @FigrothFelanor has set the example for the other Recruits by passing his first trial with aplomb. May his shiny Copper Shield motivate his fellow trainees, and may he work steadfastly in preparation for his second trial.

Ah, but he had an excellent example of off which to base his own conduct. @AllisontheWriter not only recruited the above-mentioned Apprentice, but also inspired him with the marvelous passing of her own second trial. As the order's newest Novice, she is certain to inspire many others.

One of our oldest members, a spirited fellow named @Tortwag, only recently passed his second trial. Yet he truly seems to have found his grit, for he has swiftly proven himself capable of handling greater responsibilities. It is therefore with great joy that we grant him his Peridot Shield. Let it show to all what one can achieve when committed to one's goals.


Ah, but there is another long-time member who has revived her passion in service to the order. The noble @ScarlettFire has displayed persistent honour and integrity, for which we bestow upon her the resplendent Amethyst Shield. With both a shield and a resolve harder than steel, she is certain to make for a determined Disciple. May her fire serve to forge iron wills in turn.

There is one final happy announcement we of the order are honoured to make! Our valiant brother, Dungeon Master Lumi, has acquired new, even more mythical swords for the Dragon Master Challenge. Those who seek to wield these legendary blades will be tested to their core, but success now promises greater reward than ever before!

Four new shields earned, for new swords to be earned. What a wonderful way in which to start the grand adventure of 2018!



Tomes From the Tower

Check out Need a Dungeon Master? if you need a DM, and one may show up at your YWS doorstep! Or, you know, just reply to your SB ad! Both. Both are good.

Infinite World Map Generator is a thread containing a link to a world that is ever-expanding. Randomly. Creating. Maps. You'll never run out of new lands to explore!

NPCs, Now With More NPC! is a grand addition to The Tower, explaining how you can modify a character in your storybook's roster to NPC status so everyone in the cast knows responsibility! Now that's what I call science!


Your Staff for This Month...

Ahhh, February, the time of lovers and heart-shaped arrows. Have you been shot by a heart-shaped arrow? We will work with you to sue the angel responsible for damages! Trust in Storybook Crew Law to get the compensation that is due to you! Or, you know, we're here if you need help in the Storybook sectors. Except sector eleven. Do not go into sector eleven.



Most Popular Storybook Genres

The first month of 2018 was quiet in terms of voting, since the tally rested at an even twenty. Even so, the results were... rather shocking.


As you can see, Adventure is far in the lead with six votes, indicating our storybookers look forward to an exciting year. But when I saw the next result, my jaw dropped: Mystery, Paranormal, and Sci-Fi are all tied for second place with three votes. Where, then, is Fantasy? It brings up the rear with only two votes. That's the lowest it's ever been! What a decisive twist of fate! If this is an accurate representation of the year that's to come, then we are in for a ride indeed.




Monthly Beastslayer!

This month's beastslayer has been around in the forum for longer than most of us has been alive than most, including most everyone here in the telecom station, where we broadcast only the most uplifting soul-devouring jazzy tunes (look, it's not my fault, I'm only the mouthpiece for the crew). She took this month by the horns and started 2018 off great, with plenty of activity and even a Storybook of her own to run (which doubtless you've already read about a couple of times already, because we here at the sandwhich substation are clear in our repetetiveness, except for when it comes to what kind of station we are.

If you've ever been a part of her Storybooks, you'll know that she has a knack of gathering amazing writers and creating absolutely compelling stories revolving around stories you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. She's sassy, sarcastic, and a heart-warming presence around the forum (when she's not lurking, that is!)

Don't know who we're talking about? You must not have had your ear on the ground lately, because of course it's @ScarlettFire! Truly, she deserves this and so much more, but we only give out free subs every three months, so she missed out on that one. If you haven't seen her newest Storybook, The Frozen Falls, definitely go check it out! It's waiting for a viewer like you!

New Adventurers!

It appears we have some new challengers coming on the scene! Whomst do we see, coming out of the gate into the arena? It's a little hard to see through all of the smoke... (Who ordered all of these smoke machines? How much money did this cost us?)...

Ah! There they are! The perfect reveal, as they dramatically step through the smokescreen onto the playing field, are the wonderful @emolemon, @Danni88, @Lake, and @HumanTrash! The crowd roars with excitement! There's a lot of stomping and yelling and oh - is that a cow bell? Well it looks like the fans have brought all of their noise making supplies to welcome these four into the wonderful world of Storybooking!

These four have made a name for themselves in the books of Prison Break, and Alter Egos! Feel free to check them out and see what these storybookers have been up to! Great job guys for keeping up the activity and enthusiam! Yay! *more applause*

Many Posts! Handle It!

When you join a book club, the last thing you expect is a lesson in magic. But that's exactly what the students of Whineland University got when they arrived to the first book club meeting in Room U202. Any bookworm with a love of magic would be leaping at joy for this opportunity! And some of the characters have, in fact, done exactly that. Some are a bit more reluctant, but they've all begun exploring their newfound abilities With a dedicated group of participants under the skillful leadership of @HazelGrace16, Book Club in Room U202 has quickly climbed to the position of most popular storybook for this month! While they have yet to face any foe, time will only tell what is in store for the magical cast of college students...

All Eyes On Me!

If you draw a line between the human and the supernatural, do you think either side will obey it? In her Storybook Supernatural Hierarchy, @DivinePrincess proposes an answer via the Hierarchy that controls supernatural lives. Led by the three most gifted of the supernaturals, known as The Superiors, those at the bottom have long faced persecution and tyranny under The Superiors' cruel fists. One group of rebels seeks to finally dethrone the rulers and free the supernatural people, and so assembles the best of the best. The Storybook already boasts 5 members and at least one post, but those willing to join are certainly welcome to. For those looking for a memorable experience from a new SBer, sign up here: The DT!


Profiles, Plots, & Tater Tots!

You awaken. It is cold within the storybook tab. Glancing around, you realize you're surrounded by unfamiliar storybooks, forums you don't recognize or recall viewing prior. Two of them stand before the others, fighting with sword and pen. Despite this display of character, you still don't recognize them. The battle rages on, and you watch in… fear? You hope that it won't come after you next, whichever forum takes victory. But suddenly, one slays the other, and it holds up a sign in victory. The sign reads "BEST CONCEPT" in sloppy chickenscratch, and that's when you recognize all the storybooks around you. At the center, holding up the victorious sign victoriously, in victory, since the storybook took victory rather victoriously, is @saentiel's Aeyis, this month's Best Concept Storybook!


Features From The Realm

This is a place of death. (Ooooh, spooky.)

In The Styx Experience, several strangers awake in a dank marsh with no memory of how they got there - some injured, but all in a sleepy stupor as they come to. In order to escape this place in which the souls roll like clouds in the sky, they must work together. But with so many different personalities put together, will they be able to make it work? Or will their disorder and disunity be their undoing? Feel free to hop in and see for yourself!


New Books on the Block



Here, in the Abyss, the alternate versions of ourselves meet. How do our best and worst selves fare? What happens when the different aspects of our character are split into extremes and become people of their own? Well, hop into this storybook to find out!



Take a look at DivinePrincess's divine storybook of high stakes and rebels coming together for a greater purpose. Here, a group of supernatural humans will be brought together to bring down the Superiors. Only the best of the best are recruited! Can your character handle the unyielding forces of the highest powers?



The children of superheros from various universes come together to do what? Well, go to superhero high school, of course! How else will these power filled youths be educated and be trained into professional heroes? Oh, and don't forget! This is also being recorded for the documentary - didn't I mention that? So give us some good shots!



In the year 30XX, the world is at its peak - everyone is happy and things are looking bright... until tradgegy strikes. When five strange people fall from the sky, strange deaths start occuring once they awaken from unconsciousness. People are dropping like flies. Can you escape the twisting city of Chicago? Or will you fall into the clutches of death?



In a world filled with the magic of Ley, a cast of five come together when Tulsa's sister goes missing and hurry to find her, but end up stepping into a story bigger than they thought. What will their adventures bring?



You wake up in a body that is not your own, in a place cold and unfamiliar. There are others around you, who look just as confused as you are. Two strangers fight in the distance, and as you begin to take in the details of your surroundings, a startling revelation sets in: you've awoken in as the character you've been roleplaying as for two years, along with your friends' in theirs. You are the roleplayers of Aeyis, but one person is missing - the one who brought you together. The dungeon master.




Captain's Challenge: Where's my apple juice?


I don't drink a lot of fresh juice but there's something about that appley goodness that keeps me coming back. What does it have to do with this month's challenge? Well the storybook section of the site is my apple juice, it's the thing that keeps me coming back to YWS no matter what and we seem to be very low on them apples right now.

Okay so it's a very loose tie but roll with me on this one. I want you to create a character whose name is based on a fruit - first name or last name, I don't mind which and I want you to make a post as that character. You get 1 credit for creating the character and 1 credit for making the first post. If you make a second post with them in the same month then I'll give you another 3 credits because I really like them apples!

You can complete the challenge up to 3 times for a maximum of 15 credits apples.


Recent Badges

February was a quiet month for the order. Many had to prove their merit with the pen, not the sword, and to all such individuals, we trust your valiance carried and/or will carry you through these trying times. But as always, there was those who couldn't let a month go by without some adventure - and their dedication must be rewarded!

The scholarly @soundofmind studied diligently and endured arduous practice, so when she impressed her superiors with her cunning tactics and battle prowess, it was decided: she had successfully passed her final trial. We are delighted to present her with her Aquamarine Shield and hope it will serve as inspiration to all our junior members that someday too, they might become a Graduate.

Ah, but that isn't the highest honour they can see to attain. One of our number has been an enthusiastic member of the order since its founding by the most esteemed and glorious @Rydia and @Lumi, and he has truly served tirelessly and without fail. In another universe, he was destined to mentor a legendary hero and ultimately sacrifice himself to defeat the basilisk that would otherwise have slain his pupil. In this universe, however, he isn't as noble XD his fate is less tragic, for which we are greatly relieved. And so, it is with utter joy that we, the Dungeon Masters of the Order of the Storybook, present @TheSilverFox with his Gold Shield and welcome him into our fold as an equal! The gods spare us all...

Only the most luxurious of banquets can serve as commemoration for such a wonderful and rare occassion. Food and drink will be provided without charge, so be sure to attend and pay your respects to these venerated warriors.




Tomes From the Tower

The good Storybook is the nuanced one. From building countries to creating daily life on a farm, or maybe discussing epic struggles against villains to covering loneliness in the wilderness, it's always nice to add some spice in the form of details. You might have the imagination to shine a light in all the corners where plot holes and bland settings lurk. However, whether ideas spill of your head or stay inside while you slam your head against the desk (like me), it's good to have some background to work from:

There's few things so daunting as writing about mental illness accurately. Fortunately, the wonderful @Rosendorn is here to help with her article about PTSD and Characters.

Have writer's block when it comes to creating the creepies and crawlies and scalies of your world? @OliveDreams has a solution in A Guide to Creating Fantasy Animals, complete with illustrations and general guidelines.

For all your LGBT+ needs, @Kyllorac's Overview of Queer Identities: Part 1 serves as a good starting point to learn about the wide variety of sexual and romantic orientations. Make sure to read Part 2 and Part 3!

As always, you can find exceptional articles like these in the perpetual lair of the Resources crew, the Knowledge Base.


Your Staff for This Month...

Did you know we were in the Winter Olympics? Captain Rydia, with spotters Elinor and saentiel, brought home the gold in the Ship Toss competition. While they're on their way back to YWSland, and you need help, just call. We'll throw our ship your way in no time.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

If you are extremely observant and possess a superb memory, you might have noticed that February's poll results may appear, at first glance, to be the same as that of January. This is because both months have not only the exact same vote total, but also the exact same vote counts in terms of size, with distribution being the only difference.


In first place with six votes, for the second month in a row (specifically first with six, yes), is Adventure. February doesn't have a third or fourth place, though, since three genres are tied in second with three votes: Fantasy, Mystery, and Steampunk. A very interesting result. It seems the storybookers are tired of the usual flavour and want something more exotic... if steam-driven technology counts as that.




Monthly Beastslayer!

This month's beastslayer happens to be our resident @cheeb (say it with me: cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeb), for his post in The Academy For Heroes-In-Training VII! Cheeeeeb captures the spirit of the SB wonderfully in fast-paced fighting action, a million names for bangsnaps, and a clever use of the trademark(tm). Building on Academy VII's emphasis on action and comedy, he weaves together all the director's cuts and outtakes of a documentary with exciting fighting. His post (which should be read with popcorn in hand) won over our mod staff enough that he handily won the spot of Monthly Beastslayer! Well done, cheeeeeeeeeeeeeb!


New Adventurers!

A noise stirs up from the cloud as a new challenger approaches. Boom, boom, clap! Boom, boom, clap! And... is that... singing?

WE WILL, WE WILL, ROCK YOU!
WE WILL, WE WILL, ROCK YOU!

Ah, yes, look, here coming through the gates and peer through the smoke to see our newest adventurer, @DivinePrincess, oh, and surely are they divine! Coming in with a storybook (Supernatural Hierarchy) of their own and loads of creative energy, we welcome this Princess into the courts of the story-bookers and role-players with open arms! Happy adventuring!

Many Posts! Handle It!

It's odd to think that this month's most popular SB had been voted last month's All Eyes On Me! Whether or not the crew can claim credit for it (though we'd sure like to), the meteoric rise of this SB is impressive. It boasts eight posts over the month of March, a dedicated five-person group, and some high-quality character development and worldbuilding. Yep, this month's most popular Storybook is none other than @DivinePrincess's Supernatural Hierarchy. May they continue to succeed in the future!

All Eyes On Me!

Venture deep into the House of Night by @kat13254, where you play a fledgling vampyre learning to control your newfound powers to use for good under the tutelage of the High Priestess, the embodiment of Nyx, the Goddess of Night. You are protected from others who may want to kill you as long as you follow the rules. Based on the popular series by PC Cast, this storybook is sure to be full of thrills and excitement.

Profiles, Plots, & Tater Tots!

It's been a while since we saw a storybook about aliens, right? Well, regardless of how you choose to respond to that, it has been a while since we saw a storybook where you are the aliens (by which we mean your characters, not you, yourselves, but shh, semantics). It doesn't seem as much like an alien invasion if you're part of the super-advanced colonising party, does it?

In @Basil's Beneath a Silver Sky, the cast are members of the second colonisation team to the picturesque planet Elloiren. Is this the second team following a very successful first one? Of course not - what kind of wide-eyed naïvety is this? You'd think the Intergalactic Federation would be more adept at investigating such matters, but I suppose it's easier just to throw more volunteers at the problem and hope they solve it on their own. Whether this is the case remains to be seen, but they'll probably be fine. After all, how could a warning like, "Do not, under any circumstance, touch or go near the windows," be ominous foreshadowing of some gruesome fate?


Features From The Realm

If you've been travelling the realm recently, you've probably stumbled upon @saentiel's Lost City, and found yourself... well, lost. In the city. And also lost in how interesting a concept is and how fun it is to throw your character into the environment! I mean, think about it! The lost city of Atlantis resurfaces and somehow magically draws upon the power of multiple universes and calls people to it for some mysterious purpose? Who wouldn't wanna wake up to that? Me. I wouldn't want to wake up to that. I would be traumatized. But hey, it's our character who have to deal with the confusion, right? Not us! So feel free to go throw one of your characters into the roleplay and see how things unfold!

But before you go do that, first the wonderful activity and writing of @ellasnotebook must be noted (badumtsh)! They've jumped into the Lost City with their character Lola, and have participated with interesting, quality posts, and so much enthusiasm that has been encouraging to us other roleplayers! Great job ellasnotebook!


New Books on the Block



In New York our main cast all find that they have secrets back at home that they want to keep hidden. When they meet and get together, well... you know what they say. What happens in New York, stays in New York! But what happens when the characters end up going back home?



Five teenagers in Turtlepeak, Pennsylvania each have the ability to instantly morph into an animal. But each of these kiddos thinks that they're the only ones like them - until they each receive a letter about a prophecy... and something about them being destined to save everyone from the end of the world? Oh dear! What adventure awaits?



You and a select group of other fledgling vampyres have been chosen to venture on the journey of starting the new House of Night underneath your new teachers and the High Priestess! It seems like an exciting opportunity, to be the first pioneers of the school... but what if there are dark secrets brewing inside, yet to be discovered?



The year is 2654. Civilisation has risen - and fallen - and risen - and fallen again so much that everybody's lost count. Somewhere in between, humanity managed to conquer the stars. Now, while back on Earth politicians are trying to pick up the pieces following the last string of wards and natural disasters, people in the (poorly regulated) skies find freedom and hope of a new future. Follow the crew on the ship of the SS Selkie, one of many in a crime syndicate of ships owned by crime lord Jargo Kaufhausen! Surely there great things to come!



There was a lot of commotion about a new planet discovered just over ten years ago, but after an accident that led to the disappearance of the first colonisation team, all news on the planet went silent. Ten years passed, and suddenly a call went out to every planet in the Intergalactic Federation for masters in just about every profession. The planet that had slipped off the radar was back! Surely, for you, as a part of this new colonization team, there are many mysteries for you to discover!



Rick Sanchez and some superheros are coming together for what purpose? Well, visit the storybook to find out more!



Formatted in a more casual, roleplaying style, this storybook appears to start in a classic coffee shop scene. Give it a read to see how the story develops from there and what twists and turns await!



True to it's name, this is a storybook where everyone's ideas will be used in the story! Sounds like a lot of fun and a hot spot for many fun collaborative moments!



What happens when a bunch of gods and goddesses get together and do some shenanigans? Well, pop in to this very active storybook and find out!





Captain's Challenge: Wax Poetic Assorted Fruit


Poetry. Isn't. Scary. (Eat your fruit.)

This month, you may earn 10 points for your Captain's Challenge. How can you earn so many points?! Let's dive in.

NaPo is upon us, and we of the Storybook Seas have embraced poetry with our full grasp! In a post of yours in any storybook, include five lines of poetry, as well as a sizeable mention of fruits. You can make this poem and this mention of fruits in any way at all. Doing this in one storybook will garner five (5) points. Doing this in two storybooks will garner ten (10) points.

Stay poetic, bookers. <3




Recent Badges

After a long and relaxing journey to the neighbouring kingdom of Resourcia, it came to Rydia's notice that she had forgotten entirely to hold last month's badge ceremony. This was obviously a much needed vacation but it was also obvious that if she was to make it back in time for this month's badge ceremony that she would have to leave right away so without a second thought, Rydia decided to stay in Resourcia set off once more for her true kingdom.

"Thank you everyone for coming today, terribly sorry about last month...

"I have a very important badge to award first, which I'm sure by now you all know about since one can not help but recount such a daring story. For last month did our very own Silver Fox go and conquer a dungeon of indomitable power, a dungeon so deep and dangerous that he made his escape using the bones of previous adventurers to craft himself a ladder. While we mourn for our lost comrades, we also rejoice in knowing that no beasts will plague us from that dungeon again and the bones of our friends may now be lain to rest that they may re-spawn once again. For this I award @TheSilverFox our highest rank of Dungeon Master!

"A party was sent out at about the same time to deal with a killer bee infestation at Honeywell village - it's the one to the East of the green lake where they make that amazing blue cheese. Anyway, @soundofmind was sent and took with her a very capable party for dealing with this mid level crisis but what we didn't know was that a queen killer bee was also present! Amazingly, the party all came back alive thanks to the excellent leadership of @soundofmind and the great adventuring skills of all the party: the second-in-command @ScarlettFire, the team medic @Tortwag and the brave and bold @AllisontheWriter, @PrincessInk and @FigrothFelanor. For this great show of strength, each has been granted the next rank up, and soundofmind has advanced two ranks for this truly glorious deed!

"At that same village there lived @RaidenCheese and @AliceinBluue who seeing our comrades in danger and realising they were not a big enough party to deal with this infestation, took up arms and joined the fight! They have decided to journey back with us and I am very pleased to admit them with the Adventurer rank for showing such great courage and an eagerness to aid their fellow men."





Tomes From the Tower

In the spirit of NaPo, the books we've snuck out of the tower this month are all poetry-related. That might not seem helpful to the average Storybooker, but keep in mind the overlap between poetry and prose. Want to figure out how to improve your cadence, incorporate metaphors, and make your prose smoother? Look at poetry! Also, if you're going to snatch up the massive amount of points in this month's SB Challenge, or even just incorporate poetry into your SB posts in general, these three articles should be endlessly helpful for you:

@Aley's Stresses in Writing discusses meter and stress, topics that may have proved challenging for many of us (and certainly for yours truly) in the past.

Climbing Rhyme, by our wonderful Captian @Rydia (long may she sail), discusses a unique form of poetry with a clever rhyme scheme. Try it out!

Lastly, in one of our more ancient tomes (from 2007!), Cade provides some helpful advice on improving rhymes and avoiding forcing them in her article Rhyme...all the time!

As always, these lovely articles can be found among countless others in YWS's repository of wisdom, the Knowledge Base.


Your Staff for This Month...

With spring blossoming in the Northern Hemisphere (a certain winter wolf made me promise to make that distinction) we in Sanctum Bay decided that you lot would be in need of a refresher in just how much we care about you all. And while we planned to do this through 5-part harmony, we're going to have to settle for a limerick instead. So, without further ado:



All that is to say that, if you find yourself sinking in the fresh salty spray of the seas and need succor or rescue, call upon the names below and be rescued from your deadly foe!




Most Popular Storybook Genres

Balance has been restored! You can probably guess what that means, but before I elaborate, let me confess how I'm surprised that March actually got more votes than January and February! Pleasantly surprised, of course.


Fantasy is once again in first place, but Adventure has literally not moved an inch, with both having six votes - which means the position is shared. Infinitely more interesting, though, is Drama being in third place with five votes. I could make a joke about the genre causing drama, but I'd probably be hissed at, so I'll just allude in a cheesy manner to the expectation the general population has in the coming month. (Or not, hah!)





Monthly Beastslayer!

Do you hear that? That's right, it's the sound of our lovely monthly beastslayer, queen of posting, supreme overlord of bragging rights, one with a name that almost works for a poorly delivered pun, @soundofmind! Across the storybook lands, legends tell of her numerous posts. But we at the Registry Office for Excessive Nicknames and Unnecessary but Entertaining Titles haven't just noticed her increase of post count. No, we have seen that while increasing her PFS (Post Frequency Statistic, a measurement I definitely did not make up to sound technical), she also did not let her OQS (Overall Quality Statistic) and CaWIS (Characterization and Worldbuilding Influence Statistic) drop. Her statistics are just off the charts-- charts which most definitely exist, for real, I swear--this month, so join us at the ROfENaUbET in giving her a round of applause! [insert AVS (Applause Volume Statistic) Number 11]


New Adventurers!

There is a small village in the center of a world called Yewis, and it is in this town that five travelers chose to unite. Fighting underneath the banner of The Writers, they have begun their journey into one of the most perilous sections of their world. @Daenyss, @Nobunga, @bhargav and @RaidenCheese may be worried for the storybooks they will soon face, but they have the legendary knight @Kanome in their midst. With the power of magic and the pen, they will advance through the unknown. Time will only tell what foes will appear, but we are certain that they will bring light to Yewis.

Many Posts! Handle It!

While reading the plot setup for this month's Most Popular Storybook, I'll have to admit that I got such a Cowboy Bebop feel from the juicy world, lore, and characters that I instantly wanted to join--and though it's hailed as a Firefly concept (but certainly not in spite of) I instantly understood why people are so enthused about SS Selkie by @StellaThomas!

This month's most popular storybook takes you on an adventure with a crew of 8 incredibly fleshed-out characters driven by @StellaThomas, @TheBlueCat, @RaidenCheese, @Sujana, @PrincessInk, @Elinor, and @Sheyren as they cross the galaxy on an adventure that will see the highs and lows of humanity's future, all in one tin can!

We look forward to this, and we encourage anyone not in this SB to follow it, as its reading pleasure is higher than the Fahrvergnügen of a sleek, new Miyada.


All Eyes On Me!

We found it in the pirate scrolls. The stories, of the Entity. (Yes, pirates still use scrolls. Our budget isn't that great, kappiche?) A being of darkness, one which feeds on the life force of others. A being which is said to force people into life-or-death trials, all to satisfy its desires. Boy, it's sure a good thing these scrolls are just legends, and the biggest problem we've got to worry about is the Kraken (he's actually really friendly, and he likes peanut butter). However, we do have a storybook in one of treasure chests, the one we labelled Storybook Forums, which further details the Entity. Huh, what a coincidence. And they still have space for more members! The participation runes look like this: ひそえ. I definitely suggest dropping in and claiming a spot!


Best Concept!

Nobody really likes group projects when it comes to school. But that's cause none of ya'll have heard of the The Pegasus Project, which conveniently has nothing to do with school and is instead a wonderfully creative storybook to throw your helpless characters into. @Saentiel has put together a wonderfully planned and thought out storybook where seven characters wake up in the lost city of Atlantis, knowing things from specific fields that they didn't know before, but not knowing how they got there.

There are so many mysteries to unfold! Can these seven figure out what's going on to stop the immenent and impending threat on the human race on their home planet? Will they rise to the challenge? Or better yet, will they succeed? They are against alien vampires called the Wraith, didn't I mention that?

Oop, guess we'll have to find out. But in any case, go check it out! Or maybe even join, if there's still an opening... *winks with both eyes.*


Features From The Realm

From the depths of the realm come a new RP and RPer. The RP has amassed an impressive 87 posts in less than a month, bringing together several of the most active RPers into a desolate and distinctive setting. This month's RPer, meanwhile, might only be active in one RP, but has presented a character with a unique perspective and well-developed background. They're also remarkable at creating detailed descriptions and observations that help keep the plot alive. So, in all, congrats to this month's featured RP The Fallen City (not to be confused with the similarly-named RP The Lost City), and this month's featured RPer, @SirenCymbaline!


New Books on the Block


We believe you already saw a description for this one.


Adoption is a promise of a better a life, but for most orphans, foster care will be the decider of their fates. When that fate is to be an assassin and your foster parent is your handler, naught but a grim life awaits. Although... could an unexpected series of events that leads you to Sidney fulfill that elusive promise instead...?


It's 2068 and an artificial virus plagues the world: animals and humans alike are filled with bloodlust, and seek to slay all survivors even as they succumb to their own necrotic deaths. You and your friends have managed to survive well enough thus far, but how long will your luck last?


A dinner fit for the gods is being hosted at Mount Olympus, and you're invited! Ascended mortals and divinities alike will attend, but when the impossible occurs and Zeus becomes the victim of deicide, it's up to those gathered to determine who needs to be chucked into Tartarus. Nobody ever thought this could be said of a celestial pantheon, but... whodunnit?


Pandemonium has gripped YWS! Explosions rock the very foundations of the site, and the Seven Storybook Seas churn and froth at the upset of the harmonics of the realm! Whether you plan to act as an agent of chaos or wish to restore order in the name of peace, prepare yourself for wild and unpredictable ride!


Headed by Doctor Caleb Tucker, Project Damocles was intended to produce powerful guardians to protect humanity against its own folly. In a fantastic stroke of irony, these teenagers, raised from birth to hone their supernatural abilities for the good of mankind, have now been released to sew destruction upon the world. Confused and alone, they can depend only on each other to find a purpose, whether it be the salvation or annihilation of society.





Captain's Challenge: If I May


You may think this month's theme is a lazy case of word play on your Captain's behalf... and you'd be right! But we also spend a lot of time in our lives asking if we're okay to do things - it's how we get along with people, whether we're aksing someone who's in a higher place of authority than us, or just a friend who we don't want to disagree with. Asking for permission to do things is a really key social interaction and that's what we're going to focus on this month.

You'll get a credit for any storybook post where your character asks to do something before they do it (it's fine if the other character says no and they do it anyway - at least they tried asking, right?!) and you'll also get a credit if the character specifically uses the phrase 'if I may' - this can be either as part of the request or just in passing.

You can claim these two credits up to three times for a total of six credits!





Recent Badges

No badges were earned during April, so...






Your Staff for This Month...

Th' waves were turbulent 'n th' winds fierce, but yer crew has returned from our fight against a dreadful winter storm! Though 'twas perilous, none o' us were lost t' th' sea.

Th' eight o' us braved th' turbulent waters t' brin' ye this newsletter. We be set t' embark on another dangerous voyage soon, but ye can reach us through a messenger falcon if ye needs help wit' yer own escapades.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

Having received only a dozen votes for the poll this month, I doubt the population size would satisfy a statistician (although, the same could be said of all previous months' polls too...), but that's what we have, so that's what will be reported! At least it ought to be slightly usable still.


In a decided, but not wholly meaningful, first place is Fantasy, our literary lord and saviour, with four votes. In second place is Adventure, Adolescent, and Mystery with two votes each, so... make of that what you will. Drama and Steampunk are third with only a single vote, whereas the rest of the genres were left with no votes. A quiet month, all in all.


Shameless Storybook Plugs

Beginning this month, if you or your storybook (or fellow storybookers) are in need of

1. Members for a Storybook
2. Help making a Storybook
3. New characters in a Storybook
4. Or anything else you'd like to advertise

Drop a message to @Lumi < PM: > to have it listed in the next SB Newsletter!



Monthly Beastslayer!

Normally, we like to focus on a single SBer or post for this fantastic category, but...

*grabs script, flips it*

We might as well buck the rules a little bit, since we can. So! Firstly, the crew would like to highlight @kat13524's insane number of posts over the last month. With at least 24 posts, her hyperactivity in quite a few SBs and DTs is keeping our community chugging along in the month when school is hammering down on all of us. When plenty of us are stepping back or growing quieter, it's always nice to see someone charging ahead. Meanwhile, in Beneath a Silver Sky, one writer displayed an exceptional amount of creativity. Despite the challenges of writing about an amorphous blob separated from a collective consciousness, @Synnoev proved well-up to the task. Combining a unique perspective with an engaging plotline, Synnoev created a brief, but entertaining, post. We hope to see more from these writers in the future!

New Adventurers!

Four new adventurers embarked towards the Storybook realm this past month. They arrived dressed in their finest training gear, ready to be the very best (like no one ever was). So if you see @ThatGeekyGirl, @feltheart, @OniiChan or @corvidconvalescence during your own adventures, be sure to issue them a warm welcome!

Many Posts! Handle It!

This month's honoree for Most Popular Storybook goes to one with a creepy premise and a promise for intrigue and drama. I've read the storybook so far, and I have to say that it's caught my attention as a reeeeal spotlight-worthy teen drama. Let's take a look at the premise!

You are a Junior at The Mountain School Of the Special Arts. But there is more to this school than preppy girl in shiny lip gloss, and chasing guys, or boys tossing footballs on the lawn in the morning, fawning of the cheerleaders. There is something odd going on. Something the teachers cannot speak of without falling into a fit of seizures. Something only few people at the school can even think about. Something that could ruin all of Mountain Home, Minnesota. Something dark and twisted. A group of students, a few teachers, and outsiders team up to help.

What could the secret be? Murder? Thievery? Ghouls?! It'll be time before we find out, so definitely keep your banana eyes peeled for this gem by @ThatGeekyGirl!


All Eyes On Me!

While no one wants to spend time in the hospital, there is no better place to go Harmony West. In this exciting new SB by @DivinePrincess, play one of the many who work tirelessy every day to save lives. Your time at the hospital, one of the best and most recognized hospitals in the country with one of the most talented surgeons and medicine practitioners, is surely something that won't be forgotten.


Best Concept!

Quirkiness is considered a neutral to positive quality, right? Well, what about quirks? When they aren't supernatural abilities, perhaps - otherwise, they can be quite bad. And so, some individuals with quirks (not to be confused with quirky individuals, as suggested by this opening, although they certainly aren't mutually exclusive) are considered dangerous. If not a threat to society by way of accident, maybe they'll turn their power to more nefarious purposes?

That is the stigma the characters in My Villain Academia by @Sheyren must endure. Some of them might not even be all that threatening, but are tainted by the sins of their parents. Either way, it's unfair. Being enrolled in an academy for villains is the final straw. Something must be done. Something will be done.


Features From The Realm

Deep in the dark realm of the Roleplay Realm (that's not repetitive, you're repetitive, asdfghklj;), it isn't too often that we see new RPs, much less ones run by brand new RPers. Fortunately enough, that's exactly what's happening in @ReeseSD's Dragon Riders. Established on the day Reese joined the site, it's accumulated an impressive three pages of posts in the space of half a month, entirely between two writers! But hey, they don't have to be the only ones. If you like dragons and mysteries, drop by and join in on the fun!


New Books on the Block



My Hero Academia is a story about a boy without powers who becomes the greatest hero ever after being given a superpower from the hero he has always admired-

Wait, this is My Villain Academia? Let me restart. MVA is a story about a world where you become a hero in the same way that you might become a dentist or a teacher: you go through school and get certified. But our heroes aren't exactly your conventional superheroes. In fact, they aren't even heroes. They're enrolled in the world's most presitigous villain academy, and they're prepared to become some of the greatest villains the world's ever seen. At least, that's what they would tell another one of their peers. The reality is that none of them want to be the villains they've been raised to become, and it's going to take an entire storybook for them to become the heroes they deserve to be.



You may believe that magic doesn't exist, but that's just because you don't live in the right world. Welcome to the Academy of Magic, a school created with the intention of teaching initiate magic users from across countless dimensions how to wield their powers. With a wide variety of casters and magic forms, life in the Academy is never boring. Not much is known about the inner workings of the school as of yet, but you're bound to be in for a story unlike no other if you follow the tale of the Academy of Magic.



I believe you may already know about this one, but here's a recap. The cast of this storybook attend the prestigious Mountain School of the Special Arts. That in itself is a reason for a dramatic life, but this school has a dark secret that adds to the chaos of high school. Not much is known about what this secret is, as those who tried to speak of it rarely finish their tale. Only time will tell what threatens all of Mountain Home, Minnesota.



Imagine a dimension where magic runs rampant. Where Reality is only one of three realms, and a Goddess who created everything in every single one of those realms. Imagine a brave, courageous group of heroes who will come together from the realm of Mystic to restore peace to the unstable realms, using the incredibly diverse magic they have at their disposal. Now imagine all of this, but with a twist - the heroes of our tale are all dragons. And as life as they know it is crumbling around them, they're going to save what the Goddess created eons ago.



Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy, a prestigious school that only accepted ten students out of the countless applicants who applied. It's a dream come true. Known for its excellence, the school educates the top students from any field you can think of. But, as with the other school stories featured in this newsletter, Hope's Peak is far from a normal school. After going unconscious upon arrival, the students wake up to find that they've become part of the sadistic Monokuma's game. The only way to graduate now is by murdering their peers, but, if caught, they will be executed. If the culprit is incorrectly chosen by the others, the cast will be killed and the murderer will walk free. We can only hope that our cast can use their oddly specific skills to escape this living nightmare!



This storybook might look a little bit familiar, and it's not just because the inspiration for it came from the popular Grey's Anatomy series. But, as with our other featured storybook for this month, here's a little explanation for what this storybook is about. Harmony West Hospital is known for how good it is; people from all walks of life tend to go there for medical attention, and the cast features the staff that treat them. With drama from within the staff and from the patients, a day at Harmony West Hospital is never boring.



Captain's Challenge: Don't Lose Your Way


I hate wasting time that could be spent drinking lemonade, so let's get to it!

This month, your captains feel that we need more trivial (or perhaps not-so-trivial) depth in their development. Therefore, your challenge is to instigate a dream, memory, flashback, real-time event, and/or retelling of a story...of your character losing their way. That is open to interpretation in any way, and will not be judged for point value!

You may claim this once per storybook for 3 points each with no limit on how many storybooks to which you commit this challenge.




Recent Badges

While our trainees have been hard at work honing their skills, the order's more seasoned members have once again proven their worth to the High Council!

While defending the order's name in foreign lands, @Lael impressed her Captain with her leadership skills and ability to remain composed despite facing dire circumstances. It is good to see a Warrior put her Platinum Shield to the test within the trials of battle. What is even better is the privilege to present such a Warrior with a Sapphire Shield and a team of her own Warriors to lead. It is indeed a promotion, but I am certain Lael will find it unnecessary to acclimatise to the new position - after all, she's been a Captain in spirit already.

For our other rise in rank, we look to our valiant Knights. I chuckle, for we have only one Knight, at present. That is correct: @Saen, with her Ruby Shield reflecting her own glittering resolve, has served her peers most enthusiastically and dauntlessly. Her wisdom and vision already inspires us all, but now, she may inspire us with the true mark of a Veteran instead. Though her Shield is now made of Emerald, I doubt its hues of green could outshine the former blaze of red, for Saen's vigour is a constant independent of status.

Let us celebrate the achievements of these champions at a banquet barely befitting their names! And better yet, let us serve beside them afterwards, as there can be no greater honour.





Your Staff for This Month...

Since it's almost summer in the Northern Hemisphere (objectively the most important hemisphere), and no doubt most of you are five seconds from bursting in flames, we've got a tip. Just drop and give us twenty, run around that circular track ten times, and swim five laps in the pool. Assuming you're still able to speak, make a complicated incantation and a ship will drop over your head, containing ice cream sundaes, sunscreen, umbrellas, and our finest and latest crew:





Most Popular Storybook Genres

May initially had only fifteen votes, but wow, it is astonishing what the Storybook Crew can achieve when we decide to engage in active marketing. The poll received a full sixty additional votes within a matter of days! We are most impressed and grateful.


Every single genre received at least two votes this time around. Fantasy is narrowly in first place with sixteen votes, with Adventure right on its heels, having received fifteen votes. Sci-Fi is in a decisive third, with thirteen votes, standing comfortably above all the other genres. In the coming month, storybookers decided they wanted a laugh, not a fright, so Comedy has replaced Horror. We'll see exactly how much they like their humour when the next set of results come in. To everyone who voted, again, thank you so much!


Shameless Storybook Plugs

Beginning this month, if you or your storybook (or fellow storybookers) are in need of

1. Members for a Storybook
2. Help making a Storybook
3. New characters in a Storybook
4. Or anything else you'd like to advertise

Drop a message to @Lumi < PM: > to have it listed in the next SB Newsletter!





Battle of the Beastslayers

Sometimes it's not about the number of beasts slain, but the style and skill displayed when slaying a beast! This month was a metaphorical dance off between two very strong talents in this area who showed the heavy hitters that destruction can be a delicate and delightful art!

The first of these is @soundofmind who deserves particular praise for her beautiful slaying in Aeyis where her character experiences both despair and wonder at finding herself in her character's body - the fear that she might never be herself again and the amazement that maybe with perks like transforming into a dragon it won't be that bad. Perhaps there's something to be said for having a name starting with s because our next contender for this great honour is @Synnoev whose beast was no less powerful but she took it on with an equivalent power. She showed us nightmares are not easily defeated, especially when they invade our waking moments, but together we can be less scared. I certainly feel less scared with such a great protector around!

Who then shall we crown as this month's beastslayer? Well I decided they were both such amazing talents that we couldn't possily give it to either one. No, it looks like I'll just have to hold the title for this month... okay, so they can share it. Well done both of you and keep up the great work!

New Adventurers!

Because of the failure of our hypnotizing ray the monstrous weight of school, only one adventurer has strapped on their spurs, jumped onto their horse, and rode off into the Storybook sunset. Still, the community's more than welcome to accept @TheSingingWonder to its illustrious ranks and watch to see if they'll do great things and, most importantly, have fun!

those hypnotizers should be working by july

Many Posts! Handle It!

With five posts in the month of June, with a passionate cast (and indulgent characters) comes our first Featured Storybook for being pop-u-lar! We love this storybook on its concept, characters, and most of all, quality posts. Before we dive into the greatness, we feel like the cast deserves a full-rope praise!

So here's to you: @XxXTheSwordsmanXxX, @thatgeekygirl, @AlyTheBookworm, @kat13254, @DivinePrincess, @elysian, @ShadowVyper, @TheForgottenKing, and @HazelGrace16!

At first glance, you get to admire the concept that drew in such a wonderful group; so let's take a look at a slice of the pie:

Who would have known that hidden behind the walls of our reality is another world...one filled with magic. That is why the Academy of Magic was created. Initiate magic users from all of the dimensions gather together in one place to learn how to use and control their magic. All manner of beings are found in the academy, as student, teacher, or a merchant of magical items. But from the shadows is a darkness that threatens not only the academy, but all magic users across the dimensions.

It has all the fantasy junkie could want! Magic! School! Magic vendors! Looming dread!

Here's to you, Swordsman and crew! Congratulations!


All Eyes On Me!

Avast ye scurvy dogs! The Crew aboard the Storybook ship is overjoyed to dedicate this section to something we don't see very often: A pirate Storybook! And, not just that, but a historical fiction pirate one at that! Into the Depths by our very own fearless Quartermaster, @Elinor , presents the less fantasized look at the life of a pirate. Facing the strongest navy that spanned the world, the pirates here face a rough life of crime on an unforgiving sea and an even less inviting world. What's not to love about that?


Best Concept!

This month, we'd like to highlight a grand total of THREE storybooks for their wonderful concepts because we just loved them all so much we wanted to show them all off. So get ready to hear about them ALL!

The first one we want to highlight is @Lumi's wonderful Dancing with The Stars. We love that it's a telenovella set in the future on a spacecraft, and on top of that, it's filled with interesting and diverse characters to make up the crew! If you need to fill your hunger for a drama and comedy filled sci-fi story this is a storybook you should be following!

The next one we want you to keep your eye on is @Saen's Soulmates! Her storybook presents a fun and interesting take on the concept of soulmates by connecting them through the things that show up on their skin! That could mean anything from paint to little pen marks, or in most extreme (and permanent) cases, tattoos! How will these pairs of people who are meant for each other cope with this over time? And will it eventually lead them to each other? I guess we'll find out!

Lastly, we'd like to give a big 'ole shoutout to our newly minted SB mod @FalconerGal9086's storybook, Rise of the Phoenix! This story follows the journey of four brave souls in a land that is quickly running out of water as the the Cyr River has left the land of En in a perpetual drought. We love the high stakes for the characters as they are sent out into the Forbidden Land to appease the gods, hoping to bring an end to the drought and bring water back into their land. But what will become of these four, and who will they meet along the way? It should make for an interesting plot indeed.


Features From The Realm

The thread to earn our monthly title of Feature from the Realm is… um, the deck hand just handed me a note. It says that we are not featuring a thread from the forum this month, but rather a roleplayer. And that roleplayer is the one and only @shaniac! This absolute beast in the realm posted a whopping total of 72 times in June alone… That's more posts than our crew has stolen in shillings! (Don't tell the cap'n I said that, or I'll be kissin' the plank and taking a dip.) The craziest part about this maniac's--or shaniac's--rampage is, they've not even been a member of the site for two months, having joined on just May 13 of 2018. That's a pretty impressive pirate's log, and keeps me wondering: what seas will this sea star be sailin' in future years?


New Books on the Block

Soulmates - Created by @Saen - Closed

Imagine spending your whole childhood with marks, symbols, drawings, and words appearing randomly on your arms. After spending a childhood being judged by people who don't believe you when you tell them you don't know how they got there, you finally turn 18. And, more importantly, you finally begin to understand why and how your "condition" exists, especially the people you share it with.

Pokebook VII - Created by @Lumi - Accepting!

A ragtag group of Trainers gathers together to go on exciting journeys in the land of Alola. Whether they've lived on the islands their whole lives, or are coming from some distant region, they're sure to learn the importance of friendship, overbearing parents, gang members, and bicycles!

Rise of the Phoenix - Created by @FalconerGal9086 - Accepting!

Stuck in a former paradise bogged down by drought and famine, four characters are sacrificed to the desert by the fearful and superstitious people. Alongside two others roaming the desert, the four must explore the ruins of the once glorious Cyr Civilization and, if possible, figure out how to revert its destruction.

Dancing With the Stars - Created by @Lumi - Accepting!

A telenovella about the human and non-human captain, crew, and passengers of the Dorian XIX as it goes on a long journey away from the planet Lydia. Much drama, much comedy, much wow, much spaaaaaaaace.

Into the Depths - Created by @Elinor - Accepting!

It's 1718. As Great Britain, the most powerful country in the world, looks to crush the pirates nipping at its heels, the crew of the Golden Hawk struggles to stay alive. How will they plunder, enjoying (more realistic, for a change) swashbuckling adventures, reach safe harbor, and reap their rewards?

Academy Five - Created by @Lives4Christ24 - Accepting!

Here's the story of the fifth training academy for spies. Set somewhere in Kansas, mysteries abound over the abilities of the students selected, the goals of the academy, and what happened to the last four academies. Everyone knows something, but nobody knows everything. At least, not yet.

Fallen Kingdoms - Created by @BiruKun - Accepting!

Survivors of an invaded kingdom have struggled for two years to avoid their pursuers. Can the people of Ursia escape the Gularian raiders, or even fight back?





Captain's Challenge:


Avast ye! There is a officer aboard the storybook ship, and ye'r looking at her, so listen up.

The challenge this month is to dig deeper into your character's backstory with a flashback. This flashback can fit into the story anyway you'd like, and can cover any topic you wish, as long as it helps us -- and you -- understand how your character became the person he or she is today.

You may claim this once per storybook for 3 points each with no limit on how many storybooks to which you commit this challenge.




Recent Badges

Two of our order have accomplished great deeds recently - be they of small or large scale, it matters little, for each is worthy of celebration!

Any adventure has meaning to someone, and for a fledgling explorer, their first adventures will be just as important to them as many of their more exciting and dangerous adventures in their later years. We of the High Council feel it is necessary to express interest in these simpler adventures too, and often, we are impressed with what we see. One such Adventurer, a fine lady named @AliceinBluue, has done exactly that, and as such, we have invited her to join the order as a Recruit! Her Lead Shield represents the responsibilities that await, but as she will see, these only appear daunting and burdensome at first: as she grows accustomed to them and gains experience, they will become as light as the shields she will carry in future.

Ah, but not all future shields are light. Indeed, there is a metal besides lead that is quite heavy: gold. It brings with it the most responsibility of all, yet we feel one of our Veterans is ready. After seeing it happen a few times already, one would think the inauguration of a Dungeon Master would become a habitual ceremony. Hah! I speak for myself when I say it certainly has not. Veteran @Wolfical, though you have already been a member of the High Council, making you one of its senior members and presenting you with your Gold Shield is my distinct honour and privilege, as it has been for everyone before you. Through dedication and tenacity, you have risen to a rank seemingly unattainable at first. May this be a memorable and joyous day for you, and may other members of the order, from the newest Recruit to the most experienced Knight, view your achievement with pride and awe. Congratulations!

With celebrations for accomplishments on both sides of the spectrum, we of the council wish you all the best in the merry month to come!





Your Staff for This Month...

Have you ever looked into the abyss and wondered what lies below? Felt, perhaps, that maybe it stared back? Maybe there was a fleeting moment in which you felt the surreal reality around you collapse into the void and, in that moment, you thought that maybe - just maybe - it was looking at you instead of you at it.

This month, all you have to do to summon the crew is to stare right back at that cataclysmic essence of destruction and death and chant a few choice words in that ancient, forgotten language that whispers in the back of your mind while sacrificing the heart of a living frog and handing it forth unto the oblivion!




Most Popular Storybook Genres

After last month's surge of votes, the poll has settled down to its stable number again. They aren't many, but they're enough to give a general indication of interest! And an interesting indication it is too.


In first place, to no-one's surprise, is Fantasy, with six votes. Second place, which does come as a surprise, is Romance, with four votes! Third place is shared among three different genres, each with three votes: Adventure, Comedy, and Drama. It would seem storybookers are looking for some variety in July! If you have an SB of any of these genres that you've been wanting to launch but delayed for a more opportune time, then that time is now!


Shameless Storybook Plugs

Beginning this month, if you or your storybook (or fellow storybookers) are in need of

1. Members for a Storybook
2. Help making a Storybook
3. New characters in a Storybook
4. Or anything else you'd like to advertise

Drop a message to @Lumi < PM: > to have it listed in the next SB Newsletter!





Battle of the Beastslayers

This month in the battle of the beasts, the mighty @ScarlettFire rises victorious from the ashes, inspiring us all as she shows us what a model storybooker looks like. Go take a look at her fabulous and entertaining post in the newly started storybook: Dancing with the Stars! Her contribution to this TV Drama storybook was one of quality, giving us lovely characterization, the building up of lore, and HOHOOOO foreshadowing. >:) Go give it a read! And keep slaying the beasts!


New Adventurers!

The high seas are a dangerous place, but rife with reward for those who stick it out. Will @shaniac and @Lives4Christ24 become honorary citizens of the high seas? Only time will tell, but regardless, send them a warm welcome.

Many Posts! Handle It!

If you're ever invited to a dinner party where murdering your fellow guests has been explicitly prohibited, it might be wise to reconsider your RSVP. The gods and demigods of the Greek Pantheon thought themselves above such precautions. Foolish immortals...

In Clue: Mount Olympus, Zeus has been slain and the mansion on the divine mountain placed under lockdown. Deicide is unlikely to be an isolated event, especially with a Dungeon Master like @LadyBird at the helm of this celestial whodunnit, so the guests and staff must find the murderer before they too become victims. See, this is what happens when things like police forces are considered too mundane for use by deities.


All Eyes On Me!

There've been many serious and comedic stories about the power of a wish. Anything you could want, given to you in just a few words. Except, of course, there might be limitations on the number and power of the wishes. Maybe those wishes turn out to backfire on you, leaving you to desperately try to undo them. Wishes look like dreams, but can turn out to be nightmares.

This month's SB defies these loopholes and variations on the wish - the characters involved have the chance to win infinite power and infinite wishes. The only catch? They, with the support of the mythological creature they've struck a deal with, must fight against over a dozen others in a battlefield with five biomes. Whether they're skilled at espionage, the sword, or black magic, the characters in @kat13254's The Wish Trials are all striving for glory, and won't be stopped by anything. Though the arena's empty right now, won't you strap on your sword and shield and aspire to be something far more than your regular, boring self?


Best Concept!

Presteigne was a tranquil town like any other, some of its people hardworking and pleasant, some of them troublesome and uncouth. Whether inspiring or disappointing, its children were its future, and all were precious. So when Cecilia Afters, the local piano prodigy, went missing, shock rippled through the community. When more children vanished, fear followed.

The Pianist's Daughter by @arden is the story of a young icon's disappearance and four misfits' search for the truth. Who had left each of them the cryptic letter on their bedside tables? How were the four of them connected? Was Cecilia herself somehow involved? Perhaps her sheet music contained more than just notes... Perhaps it contained answers that would rock Presteigne to its core.


Features From The Realm

Perhaps you had a horrible sense of direction, or maybe you just didn't pay attention to your map. Either way, you've found yourself in a bit of a fix - there's a storm coming in over the horizon and night is rapidly descending over you, and the only shelter in sight is a cave up several yards of rocks and rubble.

Looking for mystery and intrigue? Wanting to strike fear into the heart of your dear characters? @TheSilverFox's The Cave might be for you, in this fine mash-up of characters from every imaginable world, genre, and time!

And before we end this fine monologue, let us welcome @ChristenedPages, a member who's been with us for less than a full month and already an active reviewer, writer, and, most importantly, roleplayer! She's already a part of three roleplays (the Cave included ) and has already written an impressive 89 posts in the past twenty days, portraying unique and original characters that I, for one, can't wait to learn more about.


New Books on the Block


There are two sides of existence; the one we experience, and the one we don't. On rare occasions, in the wake of catastrophic events, there is overlap from the other plane into ours. These are not the "catastrophic events" we are familiar with. Not war or natural disasters. No, these catastrophic events are of the supernatural form. And the mysterious town of Creston, Nevada, location of numerous unsolved disappearances, now hosts a strange cast of individuals bent on solving these disappearances--connecting them to the supernatural, if needed.


With human souls dipping in price on the market, the premise is simple. You're offered the power of a first level contract for free. You want limited pyrokinesis? You got it. Limited flight? Sure! But if you want to grow stronger, and level up, there will be a fee. That being said, with demons desperate for human souls, you can expect the town of Goetheburg to be under siege by them rather frequently. Thus, it can expected that those powers will come in handy, so you can slaughter as many as needed!


With the passing of every one thousand years or such, a ruler of one of the five supernatural species--demon, dragon, fairy, genie, and leprechaun--hosts a tournament for the entertainment of all. The prize is infinite wishes, no catches. By luck, you encounter one such ruler as a tournament is being held, and you become one of the three of your species entered in the competition, places against three from each other species. Will you win yourself infinite wishes, or lose miserably and face the consequences?


From a foreign land, the Dragon of the Shadows approaches, intending to take the territory of the wounded and vulnerable Bo Wu, Dragon of the Mist. The five schools of martial arts across Bo Wu's domainset, the school of the tiger, the school of the crane, the school of the leopard, the school of the snake, and the school of the dragon set out to bring home the heroes of legend-- the creators of the martial combat schools--to once again save the land from looming danger.





Captain's Challenge: Carry That Weight


Your challenge for the amazing month of August (in which this captain's precious lil' ol' mama was born) is to spend a portion of your post in a single storybook describing a burden, baggage (literal or not) or any kind of emotional weight they're carrying with them!

For doing this, you will receive three points! However, if you go further and decide to share the weight with another character in order to build bonds or friendships/loyalties, you will receive another three points! We only ask that you clarify in your claims post that you've done a 3-point challenge or a 6-point challenge!

What do ya say? He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother...




Recent Badges

Another month, another celebration of the order's achievements! When the novelty of such feasts wears off, it only requires a moment's reflection to appreciate our success.

A new Adventurer has been sighted! The story has it that the young lady known as @shaniac was exploring the pinnacle of a divine mountain, but perhaps with a Ruby Shield to her name, such tales could be believed. Nevertheless, for her exploits on whichever mountain it might be, the order has happily sent her a Paper Shield! (Our sympathies to the poor messenger assigned to make the delivery.)

Speaking of shields made of precious stone, the sound of mind @soundofmind the High Council makes no apologies has earned one of her own! For her continued service and recent discovery of a conspiracy involving an undisclosed educational institution, she has been awarded the esteemed position of Captain and the Sapphire Shield that goes with it! When even such a noble soul's name indicates her impeccable rationale and keen intelligence, it is but natural that she be awarded her own team of Warriors to lead into battle. May she do so with pride and dignity!

Now, let the feast commence, and let us hope to host such entertainment again next month!





Your Staff for This Month...

If you and your pirating crew are in need of some assistance from some of the most experienced pirates in the seven seas in this upcoming month, send us a pigeon messager (known more simply as PM) and we'll gladly provide the help you need. All that we ask is for a tub of ice cream and a nice cool glass of lemonade to cool off on these hot summer days.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

The poll's votes nearly doubled right before this newsletter's publishing due to some swift marketing if only the reality was as impressive as it sounded..., yet instead of providing clearer results, a rather unexpected twist of fate occurred.


In first place, we not only have Fantasy, but also its rival Adventure and the newcomer Steampunk! Quite the fascinating combination, those three would be. In second place, we have Mystery (I think certain active SBs right now might have influenced that XD), and in third, we have Drama, of all genres - it's never made the podium before. All the other genres are tied, so I'd say the field is open. Go wild!


Shameless Storybook Plugs

Beginning this month, if you or your storybook (or fellow storybookers) are in need of

1. Members for a Storybook
2. Help making a Storybook
3. New characters in a Storybook
4. Or anything else you'd like to advertise

Drop a message to @Lumi < PM: > to have it listed in the next SB Newsletter!





Battle of the Beastslayers

This month I'd like to present you our champion, the one, the only, the beloved: @Carina! Carina's wonderful work in the storybook, Dancing with the Stars caught the attentions of many the storybook staff for it's humor, the characteristic voice of the narrator, the continuity in following it's previous post, and for how well it develops her character Marcy's personality! And speaking of Marcy - what a character! Marcy is an alien with unique persuasion abilities and magic, and carries a strong presence in any room she enters. Add an overdose of self-love, and you get Marcy's playful, self-centered, and maybe slightly attention-hungry self as she starts her adventure on the interstellar spacecraft Dorian XIX. Go give the post a look! It's hilarious and entertaining and gave me a good laugh!


New Adventurers!

Not mant new adventurers braved the perils of the great blue during last month. In fact, it would seem that only one soul unfamiliar with our beloved section has recently dipped their toes into our waters - unless others did so but were ambushed by sharks soon thereafter - and this would be the intrepid @Oxara! He created an SB on his very first go, so if you have the time, do drop by and leave him a greeting (or character profile ;P)!

Many Posts! Handle It!

At the borders of four kingdoms are gathered those welcome in none. Known to many as the Outlands, this area is known to the outlaws and outcasts living there simply as "home" - whatever such a word might mean to them. Anarchy and autocracy are in constant flux, and an ally can become an enemy at the slightest turn of the tide. In a constant yet ever-changing environment, only one thing can remain certain, and that is one's goal: survival.

Created by @soundofmind and running for an impressive amount of time already, The Outlands is the story of five wanted individuals hoping to reclaim their lives from the bounty hunters that captured them. Endurance, patience, and knowing when to act are essential to their continued existence, but fortunately, the frequent reversal of alignments can apply to one's enemies as well...


All Eyes On Me!

Hey fellow storybookers! Looking for a storybook to hop into? Are you a possesor of a human soul? Well in Faustian Free Trial you (or rather, your character) has the opportunity to sell their soul in exchange for powers that you get to specify yourself, after you get a tatoo on your hand! For as long as the trial lasts you get special abilities! And it seems like it might be advantageous to do so... since hell is running out of human souls, and it looks like demons are escaping to try and get some by other means...

So what an opportunity, am I right? I mean, someone's gotta defend this town, and themselves. Maybe it could be you! Because if it's not you... well, who else will?

So go on and give the storybook a look! There's lots of potential for some fun human vs. demon battles, and all of the consequences that come with well, you know, making a deal with the devil Memphis T. Fleece!
...


Best Concept!

Sometimes, in a world full of morally ambiguous heroes and villians, you need a sarcastic secret agent adventure with bad foreign accents. That's what @LadyBird promises in her new Storybook A Caes of Extreme Danger. Centered around the eight people gathered together outside the office of Nailliv Live (wow that's pretty good backwards and forwards), it promises an entertaining and complex comedy/spy thriller romp. So yeah, if you love 60s/70s America, vengeful ex-secretaries, and strange missions, jump on in!


Features From The Realm

A staple of almost every roleplay is the characters involved magically appearing at a location set by the creator of the roleplay, but one thing that we don't often see here in the realm is them going on a quest in a world that is very near and dear to the creator's heart - which is why we're happy to say that @RaidenCheese's Axcel: The World. is our featured roleplay for this month! Axcel, the world that the courageous (and a bit bizarre) band of heroes has to travel through features a irritating powerful being who's decided that the only way the characters can return home is by finding the Artifact. Come join in on the fun, or stay tuned for the exploits of our heroes!

Speaking of the heroes of Axcel, one such hero is the writer of Mari, a mermaid involved in the roleplay. Due to her character's entertaining personality and her creator's dedication to the roleplay, we'd like to announce that @kat13254 is our featured roleplayer. Keep up the great posts, Kat!


New Books on the Block


The year is 1969 - the year of music, war, and spies. You are one of eight individuals working for Nailliv Live to launch an archeological expedition of undisclosed nature. Old habits die with difficulty, and the retired general has compartmentalised your role. You don't know to what you're agreeing, but you do know there is substantial reward to be gained. Are you willing to take the risk, or does the general need to look to someone else to get the job done?



The galaxy is vast, and without those willing to protect its inhabitants, chaos will descend. That is why willing twelve-year-olds must sacrifice their childhood for the good of the many. Should you choose to be one of these noble children, you will use the next five years to learn all there is to know about space piloting. It will be gruelling, but it must be, if you are to serve the interests of the galactic population.



Whenever enough people believe in a particular god, that god is given flesh and bone, with power to wield as their worshipers have ordained. This is what has happened to every known god so far, and gods of older religious take it upon themselves to train the newer gods. Yet the gods of the Roman pantheon were never discovered. Living in ignorance since the foundation of the Roman religion, these gods have never known their purpose in life - until now.





Captain's Challenge: All You Need Is LoveMusic


Music. Probably the most visceral of all the art forms. What writers make us feel with words, music does only with sound. We all have our favorite music, and so do your characters. Incoprorate this in to your next post somehow. Them listening to music! Have them exhibit some form of emotional connection to this music, or relive some memory with the lyrics cleverly splotted in! For this task, you will receive TEN POINTS! Oooh, I just trembled.


From all of us... thank you!

As we all know, change is the lifeblood of the world. Seasons change, diapers change, and, well, we've decided to change, too. Since February of 2016, we've been in love with delivering your SB News to you at the top of the month; however, for now, The Storybook Newsletter will be hoarded into a safe where no other pirates may steal it.

That's right, somber ladies and gents: this is the final newsletter, and we are sad about it. But know this! One day it will return. It will return with a better face--because the newsletter has a ton of money from its trust fund, yeah?

So from all of us, so long, and thanks for all the fish!

- The Pirate Crew




Recent Badges

During the month of August, the Order of the Storybook was on high alert for any mad, fire-starting, fiddle-playing emperors, but fortunately, our forum was spared such an individual. As such, we have the regular resources to our disposal, which means the Shield Ceremony will proceed as intended!

With so many of our number keeping vigil, there was little time for daring exploits. Nevertheless, one @LadyBird decided she would kill two, err, winged creatures (no need for paradoxes here) with one stone. Yes, she kept vigil by going on a daring exploit! By improving relations with the order among unaffiliated persons, we have deemed her deserving of a Peridot Shield and the position of Initiate it indicates.

In other news, the order has discovered an architectural flaw in our ceremonial hall, so this feast will also serve as a closing banquet thereof. Until further notice, all future ceremonies will be held at an alternative venue. In the meantime, let us both look forward to what awaits and reflect on memories past, all while most important celebrating the present!





Your Staff for This Month...

With fall rolling on in, what's better than pouring your pumpkin spice latte into the crucible, picking a few odds and ends from the woods (under the full moon, of course), drawing a pentagram, and chanting an incantation to summon your favorite Storybook moderator?



Note: we are not liable for any incorrect or accidental summonings or world-end apocalypses caused thereof, see the tiny text at the end of this newsletter for more details


Most Popular Storybook Genres

Ah, the last edition of the newsletter! Such sad tidings, but fear not, for the poll will continue even in the newsletter's absence! True, my most useful analyses will be missed, but at least you, dear storybookers, will still be able to view the gathered statistics at your leisure!


For our final officially interpreted poll, the results are quite interesting. Fantasy has batted away all competitors and claims that first place will forever be its! Whether that is true will remain to be seen. In second place is Steampunk, warning all other genres that its popularity is not to be underestimated. Finally, we have a three-way tie for third place: Adventure, Mystery, and Sci-Fi must all share the position.

Mourn not the loss of things past, but embrace the coming of things new! As long as you choose wisely when to launch your storybook, but also defy the odds with an unexpected genre every now and then, the spirit of the poll will live on! (Just, you know, remember to keep voting in the coming months, since the poor thing won't actually be dead.)





Battle of the Beastslayers

*record scratch* HEY! All you storybookers in town! Get a load of this! The totally radical @ChristenedPages wrote a totally psychedelic post in @Saen's The Pegasus Project for their awesome character Sadie Finnigan! Sadie's what some of you might call a genius when it comes to smarts, but when it comes to socializing, she faces a bit of a challenge. She's had troubles with holding friendships past sixth grade, and has had trouble with other kids in her class as evidenced by the beginning of the post. But Sadie proves to be a strong and interesting character - ChristenedPages did a wonderful job of writing a post that kept me engaged until the end! We get a really good idea of what Sadie is like!

Wonderful job, ChristenedPages! Keep up the good work!


New Adventurers!

As our monthly tradition goes, we like to raise a glass for new recruits on the seven seas. Individuals who weren't afraid to hop onto a ship (or raft, as we all need to start somewhere) and sail into the ocean. These individuals don't shy away from the vast expanse before them, and never forget to mark their maps with the places they've visited. The treasure they bury, the flags they raise, it's for these reasons that we drink in their name. (We also find excuses to drink whenever we can. Part of the whole pirate gimmick. The underage ones drink juice, calm down.)

This month, we're toasting to @leahcat571! She may have just left the docks, but her ship has already been spotted in several quarters of the ocean. And with every island she pillages, her ship seems to only improve. We look forward to seeing the things she does, and the ship she sails, as she continues her voyage. Best of luck, new sailor!