Because we always need another story. :D

This one will be a bit different from our usual stories, though. It came from Hermit saying he'd like a story that had some structure, and when we mentioned the idea to Ebby, she agreed she'd like that too. So there are some rules for this story. Hopefully they'll be enough to create the structure... ;)

So. I'm actually going to put the background for the story first, then the rules. If anyone has any objection to the rules, go ahead and say them, and we can discuss it. I don't promise to change any of them, though. :)

Background
It began with the city-states of Zanthine. They were a small cluster of 3-4 cities, but they were rich. Very, very, rich. What they didn’t have was a standing army to protect their riches. After all, trade was a far more noble occupation than fighting in their minds, so what sane man would choose a career in the army? No, the Zanthinians who choose to fight were the ones who protect the caravans and ships. They did it very well, but they weren’t an army. Now, Zanthine had two neighbors, the Republic of Astrava and the Oligarchy of Leonar. They were much bigger, more aggressive, and even had standing armies. Zanthine did not approve. So to keep Astrava and Leonar from deciding Zanthine was a nice dinner, Zanthine started trying to manipulate the two larger nations into a war. They sent agents to Astrava, and offered them discounted weapons to help defend against Leonar's greed. Then they went to Leonar and offered the same thing for the same reasons. The nations eagerly accepted the weapons and started preparing for war. Then somehow, through spies or another means, they discovered Zanthine's manipulations. Filled with indignant wrath, they shook hands and then went and wiped out Zanthine. They took the cities filled with warehouses that were filled with goods, and they were rich. And happy. For five minutes. Astrava and Leonar started to argue. They couldn't agree on a way to split up their new acquisitions. Very soon, they were going to war again. In the first campaign, Leonar had the upper hand, pushing Astrava back, although they contested every bit of land they gave up. When it was winter, both armies drew a ways apart and went into winter quarters. Meanwhile, the government of Astrava got together to talk. "We're losing right now," they said. "And while we can still recruit more men for our army, it's going to be a long fight. So we need something that will give us a decisive edge." They put their heads together, and soon came up with a plan. They would destroy the government of Leonar. Snickering to themselves, they hired assassins and for good measure, saboteurs from the south, with some of that new-fangled "black powder." At the same time, the government of Leonar had gotten together to talk. "We have the upper hand right now," they said. "But will it last? They're a bigger nation, and they can recruit more soldiers over the winter and maybe they'll outnumber us then. No, we need something that will give us a decisive edge." They put their heads together, and lo and behold, they came up with a plan. They would destroy the government of Astrava. They also snickered as they hired assassins and saboteurs, but the ones who were really laughing were said assassins and saboteurs who knew that Astrava had been hiring as well. Spring arrived. The two armies, aware of the plans of their own governments, snuck around each other and marched for the other's capital to finish what the assassins and saboteurs would start. They were considerably astonished to discover that their own government had been destroyed along with the enemy's. The generals called meetings with their subordinates. "We could turn around and destroy the enemy army," they said, "but what good will that do anyone? No! We must have revenge!" (The Astravians and the Leonarans thought very much alike at times.) So they continued their march, burning everything as they went. To their surprise, men were starting to desert in larger and larger groups. Still, they managed to reach the capitals and completely raze them. Then they looked around at their small forces, and had a revelation. There was no government! They could take what they wanted, because they were the strongest! The men who had been deserting often discovered their homes destroyed. So they went out and found more of their companions who no longer had homes, and they had a revelation. They were the strongest in the area; they could take what they wanted!


Yeah, so I wasn't feeling very serious at the time I wrote it. :) So you know, the plan is to have our characters be from Zanthine.


Rules
World/plot rules:

1. If you have an idea that would affect the plot, that’s great. But please, PM Ebby, Hermit, or myself so we can discuss it and see if it will work with any plans we have or if we like it better than whatever plans we have.
2. No magic. Period.


Character rules:

1. Be realistic. When it comes to fighting, men are generally better than women, and the women most likely to become fighters aren’t the petite little sopranos with long gorgeous hair—they’re going to be tall, maybe a bit masculine, and keep their hair short so it doesn’t get in the way. Also, experience and dedication can trump raw talent. An eighteen year old who’s full to the brim with talent still probably isn’t going to beat the thirty-five year old who’s been through a war and a few dozen duels.
2. A repeat of the second rule of world and plot. No magic. Our characters are human, with the talents and abilities you might find in people nowadays.
3. No more than two characters. If you’ve got two and want to make a new one, you have to kill off one of your old ones. Also, this isn’t a requirement, but please, please, please, make one of your two male. Because practically all the writers are female, we tend to end up with female dominated stories, and we’d like for this one to be different.
4. What you know and what your character knows are different things. It can be hard to remember at times, but try to keep your characters from having knowledge they shouldn’t have. This includes knowledge of what another character is thinking or feeling, unless there’s a pretty clear indication, such as someone crying.
5. Don’t make one of your characters one of the “bad guys.” The actions of the antagonists will be determined by the group as a whole or by Ebby, Hermit, and myself. We’re going to have all of our characters be on the same side. Different goals are acceptable, but generally on the same side.


So there you go. Anyone interested?



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 10/11/09 05:23PM by Falchion.

Well, me, obviously. I need to make a character...

Yes, you do. You did see both Philip and Cosette, right? Maybe they can inspire ideas in you...

Looks interesting. I might join :D





A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people- Thomas Mann




My writing blog: [aspiringpen.blogspot.com]

I'll join if I can have a minor character, don't want to spend a lot of time here :)

[zarforayna.deviantart.com]

There's the link to the map I did. ^.^ If it shows the small version at first, just click on the image and it'll show it full-size.

If for some odd reason you cannot view the map, I can email the image to you.

Also, the map doesn't have tons of detail: city names, forests, lakes, rivers, etc. That's because I really don't know what exactly this land looks like; I have a few mountains and marshes and the names of the countries, and that's about it. If we decide to add anything, I can update the map. =)

Here are my two characters.



Name: Cosette

Gender: Female

Age: 14

Appearance: Round, innocent face framed by glossy black hair which is usually pulled back in a bun near her neck. Large, luminous, dark eyes and a small mouth with rather thick lips. Her nose is a bit up-turned. She’s short, around 5’4” or 5’5”. Her weight is average.

Background: She’s from Zanthine. She was the daughter of some Duke or Lord of some kind and was betrothed as a baby to her cousin, Andros, who was 10 years older than her. She was married at the age of 13 to Andros. It was a bitterly unhappy marriage and Cosette pleaded with her parents to somehow help her, but they said her dislike of Andros was unfounded and turned a blind eye to the entire situation.
As far as she knows, her entire family was killed during the war between the three nations. She survived the brutality of the battles by hiding in an underground cavern stocked with food and water – Andros had had the foresight to construct the shelter in case Zanthine was ever the victim of war.
Andros had not made it into the cavern with Cosette – only she did. When the war ended and she dared to return to the surface, she found no trace of her husband.

Personality: I’m not entirely sure yet, but I think she’s usually quiet and thoughtful. Her past makes her wary of strangers, and she does not trust others very much. She usually tries to be kind, but her fears often hamper her attempts at kindness. In tight situations, she can often grow flustered and panicky.

Other random facts: She learned to play the harp at a young age and was the best musician in her family. Her harp was destroyed during the war. Also, in the cavern where she hid, there was a raven. Its wing had been clipped by an arrow and she nursed it back to health. Ever since she cared for it, it has stayed with her; it flies away to eat and scavenge, but it always returns to her eventually.


Name: Kiril

Gender: Male

Age: 38

Appearance: Medium height and rather muscular, hazel eyes, scruffy rust-brown hair, tan, course skin from travelling in the summer. Sharp, angular nose and a mouth that always seems to be set in a sardonic grin/grimace.

Background: Kiril was the nephew of a rather wealthy Zanthinian merchant and was interested in the trade himself. As a teenager, however, he found that he was not fit to be a business man and instead took up the occupation of a caravan guard for his uncle during the trading season in the summer while working on his parents’ farm during the rest of the year. As a guard he was required to learn how to use a sword and he did. He was never the strongest swordsman, but what he lacked in strength or grace, he made up for with quick thinking.

Personality: A bit stand-offish and a bit cynical, though he’s steadfastly loyal once he befriends someone. He is very quiet about his own feelings and personal thoughts, though he’s usually the first to voice his opinion, usually in a sharp manner.

Random Facts: His favorite pastime is drawing; when he was given a rest from guard duty during his travels, he would sit in one of the carts and sketch whatever had piqued his interest during the journey; be it a rare bird, a beautiful city or anything else.




Edited 2 times. Last edit at 10/02/09 03:11PM by Eberwolf.

Here are my two characters. Are these all right, Ebby, Hermit, and Fal?


Name: Cassandra

Gender: Female

Age: 23

Appearance: Beautiful long red hair that she loves wearing down, green-gray eyes, fair skin. She is thin from the war, which has made her physically weaker.

Background: Cassandra was born into a family of merchants. While her father worked out his trade, she remained at home with her mother and kept the house in order. When she was 18, she fell in love with and married another merchant named Liam, and the marriage was pure bliss. However, Liam was wounded during the war and ended up dying in his wife's arms a month after the story begins.

Personality: Cassandra used to be lively and cheery, passionate and devoted. With her husband's death, she has undergone a major change. She is now colder and more sober, filled with anger and bitterness at her husband's death. She has not smiled nor laughed since before he was brought home wounded. She rarely speaks and usually it is harsh and short.

Random facts: Unknown to her and to everyone else, Cassandra is pregnant. She wears a gold chain with a golden flower around her neck, a wedding gift from Liam.



Name: Crow

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Appearance: Tall and strong with well-developed muscles. Reddish brown hair that is worn short. He has strong gray eyes and a threatening gaze that he uses to intimidate others.

Background: Crow is Cassandra's older brother. He traveled more than she did, but the two were close as children. He trained as a soldier but decided to use his skills to protect and defend his family. Ever since Liam's death, Crow has become his sister's guardian, watching after her and trying to get her to move on.

Personality: Crow looks stern, but underneath his stony exterior is a good heart. He is kind and is always looking out for those who have been hurt by the war. He is devoted to his sister but is concerned about her and her reaction to Liam's death, and this often makes him worry. He is unwilling to put other's in harm's way, so he is cautious in making decisions.

Random facts: Crow always carries a sword in a green sheath on his belt for protection. He has a knack for spotting lies and reading emotions, even on his sister's face.






A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people- Thomas Mann




My writing blog: [aspiringpen.blogspot.com]

This might sound odd coming from me, but...I think it sounds like an awesome idea! I do have one problem though...

If everything we do has to be approved by you, Hermit, or Ebby, how are we going to get anything done?

I'm not exactly sure what Fal meant when she said that, Mindy, but I don't think she meant we have to approve everything. Just, I think major plot developments.

Those characters sound very cool, Faerie. =)