Pogrom: Heart's Desire, Coren.

Tasus-Und shivered as he watched the fog rolling up the streets of the Old Quarter. He was not normally a superstitious man, but today there seemed to be too many odd happenings to discount the fog as something unrelated. Scooping his youngest son from the curb, he barked an order at his oldest two children to start securing their wares inside for the night. Tasus's wife started to protest, as they were preparing to close their shop hours earlier than usual, but a stern look from him silenced her. The portly merchant passed the child into her waiting arms. He gently brushed his lips over her forehead and said, "Hush, little one... this is a foul night for business. With the covering of the fog, we will lose much to the street." The look on her face made him aware that she thought he was addled, but she went inside their shop with the baby.

Tasus looked up at the sign above his establishment with no little pride. His grandfather had placed it there originally and his father had added gilt to the letters "Pawnbroker and Fineries". As he watched, the sign swung sharply west as a cold wind swept over lake Ust into the city. Tasus gathered his robe about himself and went to help his two oldest gather up the things that needed to be secured for the night. The fog now swept around his ankles and for no real reason, he shivered... this was not a night to be out in the Old Quarter. Something out there was wrong, very wrong. Well, he reasoned, a cup of warm wine in front of the fireplace and things will look better in the morning. The front gates of his shop closed with a clang.

"Don't breathe. Still as stone. Don't breathe."

Ariel chanted this over and over in her head from her precarious perch, five stories above the streets of the old quarter in War'Ust. Beneath her, two members of the Night Watch had stopped to harass a street urchin. Ariel was sure that she could not be detected and was just as sure that if she was caught here this night, it would garner her more than a stay in the Cold Place. Her long black hair was tied up under an ebony hood, her entire body clad in black and grey leather. Assorted weapons were attached at strategic places about her person. Garbed and equipped as she was, it would be obvious that tonight her mission was murder.

She went over the assignment in her head as she waited for the guards to pass by. A missive delivered by the usual devious route had offered Ariel a tidy sum for delivering yet another deserving soul to the Sh'Ad a little ahead of time. A thief by trade, she nonetheless occasionally delved into the darker arts. It was fast becoming a stable trade, what with the current politics of War-Ust. Ariel unconsciously flexed and relaxed the muscles in her legs and arms so that they wouldn't cramp. This opportunity had seemed pretty straightforward. A quick sneak into an older hostel, the slice of a knife, the flight back to safety... she had deliberately tried to not put too much planning into tonight. Sometimes the simpler the plan, the better the chance of success.

The sound of a drawn carriage caught the young thief's attention. Daring to move her head slightly, she watched as one of the Night Watch's pet mages came into view not 50 yards from her. Her eyes narrowed as she juggled possibilities in her head. She had a prized amulet around her neck that gave her some protection against Lolar's magician spotting her by her own body heat, but there had been recent tales on the street of someone new in the Watch with unprecedented powers. No, she would have to move, and quickly. Her chances of getting out of this quietly were rapidly diminishing.

A shouted warning from the carriage erased all other thoughts from the slender woman's mind. The thief released her hold from the cold stone of the building and dropped to a narrow window ledge below. A crossbow bolt sliced through the space she once occupied as her lithe body disappeared once again from the guard's view. Ariel dove through the small window, somersaulted, and drew both knives as she twisted to press her leather-clad back to the far wall of the room. Time seemed to slow as she took in the scene before her.

The room itself was nondescript, but the occupants were a surprise. A woman of unusual beauty lay on the bed, her dark red hair plastered to her sweaty face. Beside her, bloody towels and an equally bloody washbasin gave mute warning that not all was what it seemed. On the other side of the bed a man was in the midst of turning towards her with a smile on his bearded face. He raised his right hand and gestured towards Ariel... Something was very wrong.

Ariel started to trigger the verbal component of a spell she had known since childhood. The spell was pretty straightforward... it blanked your memory of the last two days. Assassins triggered the spell if they were caught, thus protecting the identities of their employers. It gave the added benefit of nobody being able to truthread that you were about to murder someone, thus raising your chances of survival in the twisted legal system of Coren. She hated to do this, as it would look bad on her for not completing an assignment. However, her instincts screamed that this was one situation that she could not handle.

Time stopped. Or it seemed to for a moment, and then Ariel realized that she hadn't finished the spell. The thief frantically searched her mind for the rest of the keyphrase as she fell into a defensive crouch. At that instant, she realized that she could no longer move. Panic tightened her skin as she watched the man approach.

A dark robe covered his powerful frame. Bearded with shoulder length auburn hair, he could have been a member of one of the church orders. As he got closer, she noticed that his face bore a myriad of small wrinkles and creases, far more than it should carry for a man of his age and bearing. Then she looked into his eyes... They were bluish grey, with flecks of what looked like gold or copper. He stopped directly in front of her, a slight smile tugging at his lips. His gaze was at once captivating and unnerving, as it seemed that the depths of his eyes had no limits... Then he spoke.

"It seems that your thread in the Tapestry has just been given a little twist, my dear. Don't fret, you are not going to be here long, whatever you choose. But tonight seems to be about choices and here is yours."

continued....

a reply to: Lumenari

Ariel tensed, or tried to... she was still a captive of this man. Her mind whirled, trying to think a way out of this situation. She knew that there were many different ways to use the Earth magic inherent in her people... but she had never heard of someone being able to do what he was doing. Her trained ears picked up the sounds of guards crashing around on the bottom floor. Another sound also, one she couldn't place for a moment... a pet's whimper? The robed man continued.

" Ariel-Torrir, I'm aware of who you are and why you are here. It seems that I am in need of assistance on this night. Here is your choice." He paused for a moment, then with a twinkle in his eye he continued. "If you choose to help me, your other mission will be completed, and you will be given a gift, one that will allow you to pursue your trade more... comfortably. Helping me this night is probably the most important thing you will ever do in your life." His eyebrows drew together as he peered deeper into her eyes. He seemed almost surprised at what he read there. "Make that the second most important, but you must accomplish this to do the other."

The thief listened to him as she mentally charted the progress of the guardsmen by the clamor downstairs. They were onto the second floor now, and she was on the forth... not much time left. Panic rose in her anew as she tried to determine the best course of flight, if she could indeed get out of her immediate predicament Her right leg was starting to cramp and she had no idea how long this paralysis would last.

The man continued. "Your other option is far simpler... you will wake up on the roof of your building and will remember nothing after you triggered your little insurance spell. Your real mission here will not be completed. You will never remember speaking to me. That is your choice, my dear. Blink once for the first option, twice for the second, and remember... if you don't answer quickly, I'll go with the second. We don't have much time."

Think, think.... she had no idea what this man was asking of her. However, he could have killed her at any time and had not. Her attention was suddenly drawn to the woman on the bed. The whimper came again, but not from her. To her right, underneath the threadbare blankets provided to this hostel's customers, there was movement. A small hand shot up, tiny fingers curling into a fist. The bloody towels and basin suddenly made sense... this was the scene of a birth. She looked into the eyes of the mother and by what she saw there made her choice.

Blink.

Ariel staggered sideways as she was suddenly free to move again. A hand shot out and grasped her upper forearm to steady her and she mentally noted that the man's grip was surprisingly strong. She resisted the immediate urge to bury a knife into his side and straightened, all the while listening to the noises coming from downstairs. The guards were on the third floor now... they were too close. "What now, mage? You freeze them and I send them to Sh'Ad? What am I to help you with?"

Instead of answering, he strode over to the woman on the bed. The darkly garbed man lowered his head to hers and a short whispered conversation followed. He then made an odd series of gestures over her head and Ariel would later swear that she saw an aura encompass the woman for a moment. Then he straightened, child held in the crook of his arm. The mysterious figure once again approached Ariel, opening the front of his robe as he did. She glanced at his bared chest and was shocked yet again this night.... there was a tattoo there, a circle within a circle, arcane figures inked into the man's flesh. It was a stylized symbol of the Church of Vlarak, versions of which she had seen before. What was inside the circle was another matter altogether. Something moved within the confines of the tattoo, something alive but it couldn't be... something swirling under the skin, with claws and too many eyes...

Ariel's breath caught in her throat as he clasped her hand in his, blade and all. He gave her a quick smile as if to reassure her and said "This is the quickest way out of here, but only the beginning of tonight. It is time to go." He pressed their entwined hands to his chest and Ariel's world shattered...

Her nose tickled.

Ariel's eyes opened a mere slit as she took stock of her situation as only an assassin could. She lay on rock, crafted stone... a building top. The sun's position put her time at less than an hour after sunrise. Without visibly moving a muscle she quickly took stock of her own body. She was still dressed in her leather garb and if what she felt pressing against her at different points was correct, her weapons were still with her. Two throwing knives in her left sleeve were missing, with one remaining. Pain and stiffness in her right shoulder meant a wound, however flexing the area revealed no major damage that she could tell. The use of her right arm she was unsure of until she could move it freely... There didn't seem to be anyone behind her, no telltale prickling at the back of the scalp that told her that someone was watching her. She could smell or hear nothing that would be out of the ordinary for her present time and place. This was the rooftop of the building she lived in, actually... she recognized the stonework on the chimneys in front of her. Focus.... what happened last....

She found herself 12 feet away, back to the chimneys and knives drawn, as memories poured back into her consciousness.

[Cold, shattering cold, she was dying, thrown through a field of colors]

[A courtyard, the robed man beside her, guards frozen in surprise... two thrown knives, two lives ended, someone behind her...]

A D'raga buzzed over the rooftop she stood on, otherwise it was deserted... a child's toy of sticks and twine fluttered in the morning breeze. The sounds of people going about their lives came from below her.

[She spun, someone was too close... she watched as the robed man gestured and the guard was flung several feet away. She judged by the angles of his body as he slid from the wall that he was no longer a target. Running now, towards a doorway]

[later? yes, past the doorway, a room... something guarded, but no longer... an alarm raised as she was handed something, then her hand pressed to his chest...]

Her heartbeat was way too fast.. calm calm... nothing is happening here, it has already happened and you are all right.

[Cold again, familiar yet terrifying... falling into another room]

[Looking at a man sitting at a desk in a poorer hostel room... the flash of recognition on his face mirroring her own... the target. A dagger thrust into the top of his head, the other slashed across his throat, watching an arc of blood spatter across the wall behind him as he falls backwards, the grate of metal on bone as the blade is pulled free...]

[Cold again, Oh no not this ever again, she was losing her mind]

Continued....

a reply to: Lumenari

She drew a ragged breath and continued to watch the toy flutter in the breeze, remembering...

[His voice, as he lay her down on the cold stones. "You have done well this night, Ariel-Torrir. Your father would have been proud of you." The mention of her father's name startles her into consciousness for a moment, but the blackness is pulling her down. Again, his voice. "You have a gift now, it is in your mind. Please use it as your father would have. Now sleep, and you will be safe." Falling into the darkness, to awake here...]

Past and present having met in Ariel's mind, she took a deep breath and slid her back down the chimney, hands falling to the warm stone of the building. She closed her eyes and tried to search the memories further, but all that seemed to appear were more fleeting impressions. Suddenly, she chuckled. To the Sh'Ad with these mages, he had somehow left her some memories while clouding others. Not her worry right now, she was safe and seemed to be sane. Now where was the payoff?

Unbidden, a spell arose in her mind. Mentally she surveyed it. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, but seemed too simple to be anything worth last night. Was it some sort of trap? Nonsense, she thought to herself, it would have been easier to kill me. Let's see what happens. She focused, and the verbal component of the spell floated up from her subconscious. Without further thought, she triggered it. Other then a faint tingle all over, nothing happened. None of the normal weakened feelings that a spell gives you, no disorientation. Nothing.

With a sigh she opened her eyes. Ariel thought to herself, "why is it that those who put their trust in a mage often find out that the old saying about them is true? You've been hustled girl, but that's all right. You're alive, and the rest will work itself out, with Vlarak's help." She then realized that she couldn't see her legs. She froze, then slowly moved her left leg. It felt normal... Oh! There it was, you can kind of see through it is all... The implications of that hit her all at once. She lifted her arms and looked at them, or rather through them. No, she thought, that isn't exactly right, it's like my arms are there, but the background is going around them. Feeling giddy, she stood up and tried looking at herself at different angles. She wasn't positive, but she was pretty sure that she was no longer visible.

Ariel stepped onto the ledge and looked down at the people milling in the streets below. She threw her head back and laughed, the joyous sound of treasures found and more to come. Those below her glanced up to catch a glimpse of this laughing woman, but none could see the thief surrounded by the blue morning sky...

a reply to: Lumenari

A quick background on the story... in 1984 (in my D&D phase) I made a world... literally.

It has 3,600 years of history, 5 continents (they were once one), an overall story arc that was about a terraformed planet owned by a wealthy family that fell out of favor with the Council and their struggle to get back to the stars.

As a result of falling out of favor the planet was bombed back to the stone age and surrounded by satellites whose only purpose was to destroy anything remotely resembling technology.

The House that lived on the planet were experimenting with emerging non-technologies... what we would call magic.

Fast-forward to today and you have 5 different continents with little or no communication between each other, 5 vastly different civilizations that have risen, the original House still being represented with the secret of their space legacy closely hidden.

I took the time over the years to draw out every continent, the cities, towns, their unique socioeconomic structure, ruler's bloodlines, a bestiary for the planet and the politics of each continent based on their unique brand of "magic".

Now the Council has forgotten this planet entirely, the satellites are failing and things are beginning to get... interesting.

So now I'm starting to stitch together the first 5 book story arcs into the 6th and final book which is the grand story arc.

Something I wanted to do once I retired... but ATS writers have made me more interested in getting it going sooner.

a reply to: Lumenari

A Captivating story. Keep writing.

Kind regards,

Bally

a reply to: bally001

Thank you for your kind words Bally and I will.

Ariel is a minor character in the first book but to me she's ... fun!

a reply to: Lumenari

This is exceptional Lumenari!

I loved it. Well done indeed.

I can't wait to read more about this.

Your amazing.

So this is just a minor character? Please write more.

originally posted by: highvein
a reply to: Lumenari

This is exceptional Lumenari!

I loved it. Well done indeed.

I can't wait to read more about this.

Your amazing.

So this is just a minor character? Please write more.

Ariel is a minor character, yes. The main character in the first book is the child just mentioned, although she does have a big support role later on.

SoOo.. now let's write about the mother, her circumstances and flesh out the politics of Coren a bit.

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: highvein
a reply to: Lumenari

This is exceptional Lumenari!

I loved it. Well done indeed.

I can't wait to read more about this.

Your amazing.

So this is just a minor character? Please write more.

Ariel is a minor character, yes. The main character in the first book is the child just mentioned, although she does have a big support role later on.

SoOo.. now let's write about the mother, her circumstances and flesh out the politics of Coren a bit.

Great! I can't wait.

a reply to: Lumenari

For those who are into the background of things, here is a working copy of Coren...

Coren ... Magical auspice, Earth, is loosely patterned after medieval English times.... Mining and War are the two things going on here... The land was finally brought together about 700 years ago by the first of the Baneth klan, and has pretty much degenerated into a world of backstabbing, plotting, and conspiracy... Note, there is a prominent Church of Vlarak in the mountains to the east (Ser'nys'ael), and the southern swamps are used as a prison (Dyny)... controlled by Lolar, the woods of the swamp are prized by the wealthy, and several swamp animals are used for a variety of things, from medicines to apparel. As Earth magic is the auspice of this land, certain types of wood are prized over metal goods, as metal and stone is easily manipulated here.



War'Ust... this township has evolved over the years to become the summer residence of the wealthy and powerful. Homes on the shore of the only major body of water on the continent command a steep price, and one's true power is measured by the size of your estate... either lakeside or lately, built into the cliffside to the northwest of the city. War'Ust is a city rotten to the core, with so many levels of corruption taken for granted that an innocent arriving in this town is a doomed soul. Lately, Lolar Himself has taken residence here, moving His seat of Power from Turo's Gate to a place He probably feels more at home at... This was originally the continent's largest city, before the First King Turo defeated its armies and consolidated power. The Ust family still holds titular rule here, but under certain constraints levied upon them by the ruling King. This was the price that they paid to remain in power after having been defeated long years ago... but they would gladly overturn that, if possible.

Eniath... A fishing town, with a variety of craftsmen in the jewelry and glasswork business. The major income of this town is the bounty of the sea, and its proximity to War'Ust makes fishing a profitable business. Eniath is also the last point on Smuggler's Road, a route so named because it avoids Tinden and Hinkel to the east, where Lolar's men are harder to avoid. It is also known as the North Port, as it is the closest port to War'Ust. This township has its share of corruption, mainly in the port itself, which is regulated by King Lolar. Perversely, this town is the easiest place to sneak into War'Ust by land, and impossible to do so by ship, unless you can afford to pay for Lolar's men to turn a blind eye... The family Eniath is a perverse and corrupted family also, having filled the needs of War'Ust for so long that they've lost track of anything but their own greed. A S'Pera sits just outside of the holding here. The locals give gifts to it in the fall, kind of a harvest giving for good luck.

Lyd... Hold and Home of the Draylisia clan... the Northern Lords. Mining and firs are Lyd's lifeblood, with some of the finest silverworks in the realm manufactured here. This family is not exactly in Lolar's favor at this time... they are rather old fashioned, preferring a warrior's honor to the current politics of the realm. Brutal but fair, they rule their northern holdings with an iron fist. To the genteel of the court, they are considered horrifyingly honest, laughably boorish, and fascinatingly deadly. A claim settled by a Lydian Knight is a claim undisputed.

Ser'nys'ael... Coren's church center... the Temple of Vlarak is burrowed into the L'ask mountain range , where river Silve bubbles out of the rocks. It is a stronghold that has endured for thousands of years, training their priests and sending them out into Coren. There is a S'Pera here, in the center of the city. Legend states that the Foretold will use this to join with Vlarak in the final times, when the heavens themselves will open to admit those still alive. It is said that on that day, the living warriors will have great power in the land of the dead, overthrowing the governing spirits of the Sh'Ad. The Sh'Ad will be banished, and the dead from this time forward will be able to return again, to be reborn...to return to their families. This belief is a bastardization of the situation that the Ascero family worked out to regain their former power. Anyways, this is an atypical township in that it pretty much impenetrable... and Vlarak does show up here on occasion, to give guidance to the current High Priest.

Tinden... The Janar River crossing into War'Ust... highly regulated by Lolar's men...this isn't really a town... just a place to cross the river and stop before getting to the big city... a merchant arriving in Tinden expects to pay a fee to the corrupted guards to pass through... some guards are decent folks, so if you are smuggling something in for someone, it's best to arrange your journey beforehand. The eastern side of Janar is a boisterous town of drinking, gambling, and mayhem... the western side, merely a checkpoint to endure before you make the final trek to War'Ust.

Taiden... The Holding of Lord Jeralt Alriel... a fishing community with outholdings that farm and raise cattle and sheep. All in all a pretty sleepy place, but the second point on the Smuggler's Road... so the things that can't come legitimately from Aldgar come through Taiden. This is an older holding, and possibly too wrapped up in their history as a family and their position in court. Martyrs and Heroes both come from the Alriel family, but no great deeds have been done for many generations... the family has gone to seed. Jeralt is the latest in a long run of Lords here that have maintained the status quo. As he gets older, with two hiers and a stale position in court, he is starting to get a bit antsy. This township excels in glasswork, with some fine magicians/craftsmen mixing a little Fire magic with Earth. This craft has spread to other seaside towns, but the name Taiden Glass still commands a good price.

Hinkel... the heart of the trading community in Coren. This is a merchant's town, and everyone here dreams of ending up at War'Ust, if they do not have a summer home there already The Bazaar is held here, the entire year... everything on the continent is available, for a price. Most Lords of the Realm have an officer within the township, to trade their wares and gain information on how the other Lords are doing. This is a large Hold on a flat plain, with two inner walls... and one outer. The outer walls keep out the scavengers, the horse thieves and bandits that frequent this area. Inside the first wall is the Bazaar. Inside the second wall are where most commerce on the continent take place.. in the shops of the merchants and the traders. In the center, built into the original fortress, is where the wealthy traders and officers live. It is a separate town altogether , filled with the luxury and decadence that only a place like this can provide. The Lords of this Holding is the Family Raleren. They have made this place what it is through thousands of years of trying to keep the peace, in whatever way possible. The Raleren very much have Lolar's ear, as they have a wealth of information on the other Lord's business... although the Family Raleren is primarily about itself.

a reply to: Lumenari

Aldgar... The final water port before reaching War'Ust, this is a shipping community that makes it's moneys on goods that are more easily transported by water as opposed to land, such as timber and coal. Ore from the Denem and Suless mines come through here, as well as other goods from Sulimo, the beginning of the Smuggler's Trail. Timber from the swamplands of the Dyny area go through here also. This holding has recently gained a lot of populatity since the wealthy have migrated en masse to War'Ust. The Holding is ruled by the Aldgar family, and they cannot believe their luck the past 100 years or so. They think themselves canny traders, but are in fact duped on more than one occasion. Nonetheless, this family is known for its hospitality and good nature.

Denina... a fishing/shipping community that has found itself competing with Bantortin with shipping rates thru to Aldgar... they are the longer route, but an essential stop for ships going to Eniath. This township is also known for its magicians, as well as the second largest Vlarakian church on the continent. Lords of this holding are the Bantorin family. This paradox is easily explained... the two holdings had a bet once that one could do better than the other in their shoes, as it were... the bet is still undecided after 1200 years, although there is a contest every 4 years held in Aldgar, with competitions ranging from horse races to judging the largest lobster. The winner of these games takes home an ancient crown from a former ruler (there is bitter discussion as to who wore this crown, and what exactly he ruled) and gets the lower docking fee until the next competition, thus ensuring its prosperity for the short term. The two families are heavily intermarried, so the family politics are nothing short of brutal. There is a S'Pera between these two cities, and is used as a meeting place for messengers and lovers.

Bantortin... the mirror image of the town described above, with the third largest church (this year) and an equal amount of very talented Earth mages.

Sumilo... there is a saying that all roads run through Sumilo, and that is apparently true... this is the first point on the Smuggler's Road. Sumilo is run by a consortium of families, mostly merchants, although there is a fair share of families that have made their coin through extortion, thievery, and assassination. This is the black market of Coren, where pretty much anything unsavory can be found. Their claim to fame is the exquisite wines that they produce here... the climate and land in this area is perfect for the production of spirits. The town itself is built on an older city, possibly there before the terraforming of this planet. The caverns below the township are prefect for hiding things, and indeed, have hidden certain things for thousands of years. Indeed, marvelous things have been found down below, artifacts that can be nothing other than alien, but more times than most, those who enter these caverns never return. There is a S'Pera here also, at the center of the township. The locals here give it but a passing glance... it is just another oddity to them.

Denem... carved into the L'ask mountain range, Denem is a mining town with all that a mining town entails. Silver and gold are wrest from the rock at a dear cost to the people mining it and shipped out to be remade into jewelry and such. This township's Rulers are currently the Gesad family, they having taken over from the Denem with Lolar's sanction a few hundred years ago. Under the Gesad rule, the townspeople can be considered poor but proud. There is a lottery here, where every 10 years one lucky family gets a percentage of the profits until the next winner... which doesn't exactly mean a home at War'Ust, but a chance to get a little ahead. The Denem family was scattered after being usurped, but there is a local tale of them coming back to reclaim their township. The Denem family has always been in competition with the Suless family, but they thought that because thier mines could produce more, that they would eventually break Suless and their odd ideas about sharing profits. History proved them wrong.

Turo's Gate... originally Nuyra, this holding was renamed when King Turo came to power. The township is the largest city on the continent, with thousands of years of building and artworks. The original King meant this to be a place of learning and wisdom however, the last few hundred years under Lolar's rule has made this city a shell of its former glory. Where once was a shining beacon to the rest of the continent is now a maze of bureaucracy, schools being shut down for lack of funds, libraries closing their doors to the general populace. This is still the center of the Earthern craft, although students of the craft now look forward to finishing their studies and heading north to War'Ust to ply their trade. The outlying areas are rich with farmland, but their goods command a higher price at Hinkel lately. Lolar Himself has removed his permanent quarters to War'Ust, so the ancient Castle is kept alive only as a formality. As a result, this township is an odd mix of ancient royalty and recent poverty.

Suless... this is a mining community, like Denem, but the resemblance stops there. Over a thousand years ago, the Suless family started a tradition that was unheard of on this continent... they gave the miners a share of the profits of the township, based on their production. This township cannot match the production of Denem, as their mines are not as rich... but the populace has a much better quality of life. Lolar has tried to shut this township down economically, but the demand for silver is too high. A military option would probably bring on a revolution, so Lolar allows this town to live, for now. Denem families thinking of moving to here are told that to do so would be suicide, as the King will soon take the town over entirely, and force the populace into slavery. Nevertheless, Suless keeps producing, and the stalemate between King and township continues.

Hytese... a harbor and fishing town but most important, the salt mines that operate to the north of this town. This is a relatively rich township, with a VERY solid family ruling it. This holding a long time ago capitalized on its proximity to an old seabed to bring salt, and thereby durable foodstuffs, to this land. The Hytese family is one of the oldest on Enarr, and well respected. The politics of this holding are rather unexciting... they generally as a family go with the flow. There is a community of salt miners here, they are well paid and respected for the work that they do and are considered the backbone of this holding.

a reply to: Lumenari

Kelow... this was once an important port, with everything that went to Turo's Gate passing through its harbor. With the degeneration of Turo's Gate came the withering of Kelow... then the conception of Dyny as a prisoner camp made Kelow the last stop on the prisoner's route This is a ghost town of a holding, with the Dukot family desperately trying to hold things together for the townspeople. The Dukot were always the King's men... several famous Knights were from this family. Lolar's politics are starving them. They have resorted to digging into their own coffers to keep the holding alive. There are rumors that this family will help a criminal escape Dyny. Other rumors state that a revolt is being planned here, but that would be close to impossible, as the King's men are always here in force.

Essd... a scary little fishing town. It has always been decrepit, a mirror of its Ruling family. The Essd were cursed with a number of things, from a lack of physical beauty to problems with personal hygiene. Greedy and stupid, with not much thought beyond the next flagon of ale, the Essd are the Lords of of a pitiful backwater place that doesn't have much going for it... and probably never will.

Dyny... A township situated in a swamp between the Eril and Silve rivers, this was once a not-so prominent port that was famed for its wood carvings... now it has been completely taken over by Lolar and is a prisoner camp. The recent demand for wood and the skins of animals here has made it very profitable for Lolar, as well as solving His political prisoner problem, as anyone sent down here dissapears from society and probably will show up in the Sh'Ad before too long. The township itself is built on an outcropping of rock and rises several levels high. A S'Pera lies at the center of the town, although it is thought of as an ancient sculpture and nothing more. There are several levels below it also, and the stories of what happens down there are used to scare children into obedience. If Coren had a hell, this would be it.

This is just personal thoughts on the continent and a working draft, so it's personal thoughts and not something that needs to be deconstructed.

Just a background for those few out there that like this kinda stuff.

originally posted by: highvein

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: highvein
a reply to: Lumenari

This is exceptional Lumenari!

I loved it. Well done indeed.

I can't wait to read more about this.

Your amazing.

So this is just a minor character? Please write more.

Ariel is a minor character, yes. The main character in the first book is the child just mentioned, although she does have a big support role later on.

SoOo.. now let's write about the mother, her circumstances and flesh out the politics of Coren a bit.

Great! I can't wait.

Then you better get on the bandwagon!

Updated the thread with some background on the continent.

SoOo... who will your character be in the unfolding story?

Perhaps I should have put this in collaborations.



ETA.. It's nice getting this out of my head and typed out.

a reply to: Lumenari

Writing something into this would be way out of my league.

But maybe Nixus, a Necromancer from a place nearer to Essd.

originally posted by: highvein
a reply to: Lumenari

Writing something into this would be way out of my league.

But maybe Nixus, a Necromancer from a place nearer to Essd.

Then you would be put to the sword because magical deviations from Earth-based (what you can do with rock, metal, growing things) are... frowned upon in Coren.

People ARE put into the ground though so a certain character that had that auspice might be really interesting haunting the outskirts of Essd.

Nice name too.

Why would writing about a person in a world living a life be out of your league?

You do it every day on ATS as yourself and do it quite well.

So why not step out of the box and write about someone like yourself put into different circumstances with funner rules?

Just thinking out loud tonight.

a reply to: highvein

I had an odd thought the other day.

There are so many excellent writers on ATS.

I have a whole world in my head I've been carrying around for 35 years or so.

Wouldn't it be interesting to write a whole series of books as a collaboration?

Has anyone ever done that before as an online team?

I could put up a website about the world, flesh out the story arcs, let people make their characters and generate a series.

If anything came of it, we'd just split profits and run with it.

A thought...

a reply to: Lumenari

Then you would be put to the sword because magical deviations from Earth-based (what you can do with rock, metal, growing things) are... frowned upon in Coren.

That is why he is overly secretive about his meddling in the dark arts.

People ARE put into the ground though so a certain character that had that auspice might be really interesting haunting the outskirts of Essd.

The more souls that he drains the power he obtains over his immediate surroundings.

Why would writing about a person in a world living a life be out of your league?

You do it every day on ATS as yourself and do it quite well.

So why not step out of the box and write about someone like yourself put into different circumstances with funner rules?

Okay, but remember. I warned you. What do you need me to do?

a reply to: Lumenari

That is a great idea.

Write up your character.

Collab with others for the storylines.

Release them to them to the public

and let them decide who lives and dies.

It would be fun and sad. Birthing your character and creating their death.

a reply to: Lumenari

I iz down.no profits necessary

also i loved the story