NaNo Prep - Object Described

Here is more of a flash fiction showing Daemahrath and the Prince he fell in love with, eventually causing him to be forced to leave the city. But the object is in it, so it counts.



The grass shoots waved under a light breeze, bringing with it a calming sense of solitude. Daemahrath, rolled from his back onto his left side, facing the prince as they both rested in the empty field. A yawn escapes from the lazy rest of an empty afternoon soaking in the warm spring sun.

Kaselon pushed closer, until his body rested against Daemahrath's. Their lips brushed together in a brief kiss. "Have a good nap?" He joked when they were apart again.

"Did I nap?" He tried to pretend it didn't happen, not that it mattered. It had been a week since they'd managed to sneak off together and it felt almost a waste to spend part of that time asleep, but he couldn't help it. The last four days had been busy at the healer's hut to the point of getting no sleep most nights.

"I don't mind watching you sleep. You've been busy as of late." Kaselon sat up, moving over to a bag he'd brought with them on their hike. It contained a few snacks, an animal skin with water, and something else. "I have something I want to give you."

This was enough to get Daemahrath to push himself into an upright position. They'd made sure not to give any physical gifts in case they would get questioned about the objects by someone. So, he couldn't imagine what Kaselon would want to give him. He watched as a covered object, bigger than the size of Kaselon's hand, was pulled from the bag and placed on the ground. After a second of dramatic bravado, the edges of the high quality cloth were moved to expose the gift: a special dagger.

Before it could even be officially offered, Daemahrath tried to turn it down. "I can't accept that. The blade was made for royalty and you earned it from the last formal battle show. It belongs to you, not me."

"Daemah. The only reason I won is because you weren't allowed to compete and I'm pretty sure a few of them let me beat them on purpose. Besides, I have plenty of nice daggers and swords that are all specially crafted just for me. I want you to have this one." Kaselon took the blade in its sheath and formally handed it over.

He let his fingers drift over the dagger, admiring the details. The case and handle were onyx black with gold etchings laid in intricate patterns and script. A pull of the handle exposed a shining blade that also contained the gold intertwined over the surface of the metal near the handle and down the sides of the blade. The edge reflected light from the sun, showing off its sharpness from the slight angle it was held. He couldn't deny, it was magnificent and a tempting offer. Pushing the blade back into the sheath, he shook his head. "No, I can't."

"You have to because I am not taking it back." Kaselon put the cloth back in his bag, closing it. "I'm giving it to you and no more arguing cause I'll pull rank if I have to." With a flash of a smile, he planted another kiss on Daemahrath and settled back down on the grass.

Sighing, Daemahrath gave in and settled back to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

NaNo Prep - political background

Politics of Book 1

The Woodlands: There is one main ruler over the land with a counsel(senate) that helps make decisions. The decisions are enforced by guard (as police official types) that follow the rules given by their superiors. There is also a set of public displays that works for enforcement, because what other people think in the community is considered to be of value.


Mixed City: Two ruler system, queen and queen (lesbian couple) that rule the city though there is some question as to how effective a monarch type rule is on the city dwellers. The system is a bit fractured and the people in the city don't get along as much as outsiders think they do. Within the city, it is a struggle and groups constantly are at battle with no concern of the laws.


Human villages: (taken over by villain) Under the control of the antagonist, though from afar. He has some of his creatures there to guarantee control. The original leaders are mostly still in tact, with a few exceptions, but they all must answer to him. Laws are heavily enforced. (not taken over yet) Own rulers, depending on location and the size of the city. Villages tend to not have a single, ruling over all, type of leader. Law enforcement is a little more lax.


Human fort: One ruler with a counsel of knights (or similar types, the fighters). Down to earth ruler who is very close to everyone in the fort's walls, which holds a small village. Everyone takes their roles in the community seriously, with many helping each other.


Dwarven society: Communal type society with a help each other attitude and no main ruler. Laws aren't as important though there are a few codes that those who violate are scorned for a few days. Then they shrug things off and move on.


Starsatti: similar to woodlands. Some of them came from there so it's a reflection of the old ways but with a few changes made to keep things up with the times. Different views are believed. Before Daem left, things were stricter but it turns out after things left a change was eventually made. The prince becomes king and the rules get fixed that caused him to be banned in the first place.

NaNo Prep - minor character 2 story

Not much of a story this time, but a little bit of dialogue with some story to it.


Dwarf backstory


The constant drip drip of water echoing throughout the inner regions of the quartz filled caves beat a rhythm into the two dwarves as their breathing began to labor from the arduous hike.

"Remind me, why did we do this again?" The yellow haired male huffed as he grabbed a slab of rock to support himself, taking another break.

Crystal paused, looking back with a slight huff. Her long red hair was contained by some segments of string but it felt chaotic, so she spent a moment fixing it. "Cause it's fun. I'm tired of sitting around watching the others drink. I want adventure."

He quickly responded. "It's work and that's not fun."

"Maybe it takes a little work sometimes, but it'll be worth the effort to see the cave waterfall."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, pushing off from the rock as they continued onward. "I still don't get why you want to adventure so much, but as long as you keep it in the mountain."

Sighing, Crystal shook her head. "You'll see. Someday I'll be the greatest dwarf explorer that ever existed. I'll go to strange lands and meet all kinds of beings. Maybe I'll meet the elves or spend my days among the humans. Either way, I am going to do something besides rot in the ground."

NaNo Prep - minor character 2

Dwarf Profile



The Basic Facts
Name: Krystal (needs a last name, or second part of name)
Pronunciation: k-ris-t-al
Age: old enough to leave for adventure, young enough to foolishly do it
City or Area of Birth: in the mountains where the dwarves live
Sex: female
Height: obviously short. 3'2" (maybe)
Weight: not much
Hair: red, no beard
Eyes: green
Clothes: green and brown. decent material for travel.
Marriage Status: single
Sexual Orientation: straight
Occupation: unknown at this time
Fighting Ability: decent. Short/small battle ax, dagger
Magikal Ability: none currently
Character Description: Krystal is one of the friendliest characters. She is used to partying, doing work only when it needs to be done, and was tired of the sitting around not going anywhere aspect of mountain life. She is an adventure seeker, ready to take on any battle that will make her life more interesting.

Familial Relations
Father: name unknown
Living/Deceased: living
Occupation of Father: Has skills to build but mostly makes furniture and drinks
Mother: name unknown
Living/Deceased: living
Parental Marriage Status: together
Occupation of Mother:
Sister(s): 1 younger
Age(s): kid-ish age, almost teen-ish
Living/Deceased: living
Marriage Status: too young
Brother(s): 2 brothers
Age(s): one slightly older, one much older
Living/Deceased: living
Marriage Status: one single and one is married
Aunt(s), Uncle(s), Cousin(s), etc: several, not discussed
Other Family Occupations: unknown

Relationships with Others
Current Lover/Spouse: none
Best Friend(s): Makes new ones on the trip. Old best friends were class mates and would play together often
Other Friends: ^
Past Love(s)/Spouse(s): Had one guy interested in her but she wanted to leave and explore the world
Worst Enemy: boredom
Allies: food and drink, lol
Ability to Make New Friends: easily makes friends, sometimes whether the person wants to talk to her or not
Other People of Note in Character's Life: none, though the thief may be in a later book
Reason Why They are Noteworthy: hint is in the wink

Background
Where Raised: in the mountain (inside it, really)
Family Background: umm, all dwarves

Psych Profile
Greatest Joy: new experiences
Greatest Trauma: don't know yet
Morals: decent morals. doesn't mind drinking at all, but prefers not to kill unless it's her life or theirs
Ambitions: adventure
Positive Personality Traits: friendly, seeks new things, strong willed
Negative Personality Traits: doesn't always take a hint well, not always aware of consequences, talks a lot
Mannerisms: ummm
Fears, Anxieties: not sure
Temperament: friendly, happy, talkative
Ambitions: to adventure, experience new things and meet new people
How Character Displays Emotions: visibly, she doesn't try to hide them
Leader/Follower: follower
Perception of Others: intriqued to learn about them, tries to start with clean slate for each one she meets
Perception of Self: happy for the most part though isn't sure of where she wants to be in life
Memories: fond
Dreams/Plans: adventure and find herself, not be stuck in a mountain all her life
How Character Handles Crisises: pretty well, depending on the type, but can panic for a moment or ten
Personality Type: ummm *points to previous details*
Most Meaningful Life Experience: no idea
Attitude Toward Others: friendly
Feelings Toward Family: loves them for the most part
Feelings Toward Friends: enjoys all friends, past and present
Feelings Toward Strangers of the Same Sex: no problems, intrigued by how they act
Feelings Toward Strangers of the Opposite Sex: intrigued as well, unsure too
Feelings Towards Enemies: not used to having any

NaNo Prep - Setting 2 Described

A small amount of setting described. The goal is to write for 15 minutes on average, so I didn't try to make this really long. It's the lost elven city, and it's lost for a reason.


Thai-noren

Nestled deep within the sea of trees, far beyond any travelers sense of direction, lay the forgotten city. Bands of magic laced through the trees, sinking deep into the soil, combined with the lack of stars and variance of plant growth made it almost impossible to find as those seeking the city would easily get turned around and never truly reach the center where the city once radiated. Somehow, the trees will seem to blend and repeat themselves in patters that would tickle the travelers sense of deja vu without ever making it known that they were backtracking or changing directions from their original intent. Since there were no longer maps that held the secret details of the vast forest, it was impossible to find. Not that it was much of a prize for the rare individual that may stumble upon the once hallowed grounds.

Once a magnificent city of rock, wood and metal embellished architecture, now it is a long a rubble and decay. The tall building have long since crashed to the ground. Walls no longer support upper levels or ceilings and they no longer keep the outside from getting in.

Weeds coat the ground with small patches of grass mixing in across land that once had a purpose. Growth is limited, held down by the waning coat of magick left behind. Standing in the net of the cursed land leaves one in a bubble of silence. No animals have nested in the city, nor can any be heard even on the edge of the civilization marked land. It is an oasis of what once was and what will never be.

Outline #3

Main character #1 Feynethom - a male woodland elf, left the woodlands on a crazy quest
#2 Daemahrath - a different kind of male elf from Starsatti (or however I spell it), banished from his city where he was raised by a healer
#3 - a short male human that tends to acquire items (yes, the typical thief character) a friendly companion for the dwarf in their middle book
#4 - female dwarf, red hair but no beard. A strong spirit, has no problem with elves and is one of the first to travel out of the mountain recently
#5 & #6 - female humans. Strong and capable of handling things on their own. Some issues against elves but is expected.


1. Feynethom meets Thief (needs a name still) at small village inn.
characters: feyn, thief, random humans in dining area including hunters and cocky noisy guys
Feyn is on his quest to the lost city of Thai-noren, but isn't having much success. It's very difficult to find and not many go looking for it because it's considered evil ground, possibly under a spell. Feyn stops in a human village to break where he meets #3 in a village inn. He doesn't keep his mission to find an ancient city where magical elves once lived in hopes that they hadn't been annihilated as the history books claimed a secret. The people of the inn are a bit weary because he is an elf. There is one group of men that have a bunch of old maps. There is another human that sits along with Feyn, who is shorter than most. Someone accuses that man of theft. There is an eventual squabble and the two have to run. The short human, #3, joins him on his quest after acquiring an ancient map that might have the location of the ancient city. So, they head in that direction.

2. Daemahrath meets Dwarf (needs name still) at treetop tavern.
Characters: Daem, Dwarf, bartender, other humans
It's a special location, designed in a way that it is hoisted up by trees. The setting is described in the first setting exercise in how the tree is very large, and the bar is thus far above ground. Daem has his ears covered so no one knows that he's an elf. He just seems like an odd stranger in for a drink who has little interactions for first part of the scene with anyone except for the bartender. Dwarf is there, having left her home for an adventure but hadn't found one yet. A group of humans come in with one mistaking the dwarf for an elf but his pals correct him. The group spends some time talking with the dwarf, now amused by her presence. The one human says he met an elf who was trying to find the ancient elven city. There is some discussion of the ruler that is taking over different villages. This leads to an argument where they find out that Daem is an elf and hell breaks loose. Daem is able to escape after a short skirmish and takes a short cut off the tall bar location. The dwarf follows, getting away too.

Daem decides to find the lost city, to make sure the ones mentioned by the humans aren't taken by the cursed city. Dwarf insists on going with him, and befriends him even though he is a bit reluctant.

3. on the outskirts
Characters: Daem and Dwarf
Shorter scene. They are close to the lost city and Daem discusses a few things with the dwarf. After some argument part way into the trees, the dwarf stays behind with instructions on what to do given certain possible outcomes. Daem leaves, pursuing the actual city alone.

4. Finding Thai-noren
Characters: Feyn, Thief, Daem and Dwarf
Feyn and Thief find their way to the ancient city despite the fact that the rooms are very creepy with an air of foreboding. It is abanonded with no signs of life, which is a disappointment for Feyn. They try to search the grounds that are overgrown and decaying. There is a question as to if they should leave but Feyn is reluctant to give up hope yet. As their nerves start to get to them, Daem shows up. When he first sees him, Feyn almost has the idea that he might be an actual Thailean elf. But that gets shattered. Daem directs them away from the city, though the two are a little reluctant to leave at first. A danger occurs, shadow monster or something like that, which makes them more than happy to run.

5. Safe again
Characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief
The two find Dwarf, who was waiting for them per the orders of Daem. They move a little further away and then wait, in hopes that Daem will make it out of the city alive. He does eventually and the group as a whole makes it further before resting.
Daem had plans to go to a fort that was being threatened by the antagonist. Those plans were only slightly put off by the distraction of the ancient city. The fort is important because it is a human fort that has a long history of never losing a battle and if it were to fall to the enemy then hope may be lost. At least the rest of the human settlements not conquered would probably give up. The other three decide to join him for their own reasons. Some are looking for adventure and others just aren't ready to return home because they left for a silly quest.

6. On the road - camping
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief
The character get to know each other a little more on the slow journey. Spend many nights sleeping on the ground. Feyn tries to get to know the other elf a little more but doesn't have much luck.

7. Travel and finding a bed
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief, other humans
In order to get to the fort they must travel through a number of small to medium size towns full of humans, many of which are occupied by the enemy. Most are not friendly to elves and so, for them to go in they have to use disguises. They prefer to go around some of the occupied villages but the group gets tired of sleeping on the ground. So, in a village that is located near the woodlands, the group goes into a small-medium sized village where they decide to try staying at an inn for one night. The two elves disguise using women's clothing.

8. Evening at the Inn
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, two humans that get introduced, others
Have dinner in the main hall, where they meet the two women characters who are there having left their farm villages. Some hints as to possible anti-evil-ruler get tossed into conversation. The two elves leave dinner early, tired of the disguises and not wanting to push their luck, so they head up to the one room the four managed to get in the inn. Feyn and Daem go over a few maps and discuss a couple of documents, at least one that the thief managed to procure during the visit in town.
Later that night, the two females go up to the room the group has, where only the elves are currently as the other two are still downstairs. They enter the room to discover the women they saw downstairs were in fact male elves and cause a slight camotion but that gets covered up when the other two soon return. After some coaxing, they listen to the group and don't report the elves.

9. Morning trouble
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief, humans, enemy creatures, woodland elf patrol
The ext morning, the group prepares to leave with a goal of heading further through the route of villages that exist on the outskirts of the forest. One of the enemy guardsmen takes an interest in Feyn, who is dressed as a woman, and tries to take advantage of him. Daem saves Feyn right after the guard figures out he's not a female human, but the elves cover is blown. After running away and finding the rest of their group they have no choice but to run into the woodlands, which they were trying to avoid. Even though they are in the woodlands, the ones running after them don't stop as was expected, so the group stops and prepares to face them. But they don't have to as the enemy gets shot down by someone else. They are saved by woodland elves, who don't seem happy to see them.

10. Woodland elf city/village
characters: daem, feyn, (dwarf, thief, humans not as much) other elves, feyn's mom, leader's advisor
The elves that save them lead the group into the village, though it's questionable at first because humans are usually not allowed in. Even with Feyn, they almost don't get in because he wasn't supposed to leave the village when he did. But everyone except the actual elves are allowed in most of the village as the others are placed in a special set aside area with little huts created just in case. Feyn and Daem are allowed time at Feyn's old home for a little while before they are to meet with the King/Emperor type to explain their mission over dinner. Aside from meeting Feyn's mother, his promised one shows up and he talks with her while Daem ends up talking to his mom and one younger sister.

11. Dinner with leader
characters: Feyn, Daem, elf leader, the advisor, a couple elf guards
The dinner starts to go very well. He doesn't agree to send any elves to help but he does allow the whole group to live and carry on with their mission. Counsel advisor isn't happy about it when there seems like a point where the King might agree with them, so he stirs up trouble. Daem's secret gets revealed and he leaves the dinner early. Feyn has to go talk with him and there is a small attack, which is a shock since no one has ever gotten that close before.

12. Night in woodlands
characters: feyn, daem, feyn's father, (thief, humans, dwarf at the end)
Daem is taken to a different area than even the non-elves, as the advisor doesn't trust him. Feyn decides to go spend the night with him, even though that might look bad to anyone that found out. He figures as long as they aren't in the same bed ti won't matter. After some talk they go to sleep. Next morning starts with someone entering the hut, and Daem pulling a knife on the intruder. Turns out to be Feyn's father and things don't go well. Daem goes to get the rest while Feyn deals with his dad. The group eventually leaves for the fort.

13. The fort
The elves use the disguises to get into the fort. Once in the thief and dwarf check out the common areas of the village inside the fort while the others try to see the King/Leader. Once in front of the King/Leader, with very few else in the room, they remove the disguise and share the news they have about the impending attack. The King has them then share some of the news with the whole village.

14. Preparations
characters: fort people, feyn, daem, humans, dwarf, thief
At first, the warriors of the fort are uncertain about the news the members bring, especially with two elves in the group but the King/Leader of the fort doesn't have a problem with elves. They believe them after awhile and begin to prepare for battle with Daem put in charge. Near the time of the battle, as bit of the population is taken to a safe location. Daem teaches Feyn how to use a sword better in battle, in case he has to do such.

15. A secret
characters: feyn, daem, fort warriors, humans, thief, dwarf
Daem has another secret that he personally reveals to a group after the leader refuses to give in to the anatagonist's demands. But first, he offers to allow the fort to give in to the antagonist, to offer him as a gesture that could spare the fort but the fort would never do such a thing. So, he then shows them what he is actually able to do.

16. Battle
characters: feyn, daem (but not at end), humans, thief, dwarf, fort people
Battle at fort occurs against difficult odds. They seems to struggle at first but as the battle ensues they lose very few people and appear to be winning. Daem gets knocked off when saving Feyn and gets carried away by the enemy. The battle ends with the fort seeming victorious but they lost something/someone valuable.

Plans are made for what to do next.

The end of book 1.

NaNo Prep - Minor #1 Backstory

This is a backstory for a nanowrimo character. It's supposed to be a minor character, but I have a group of important characters, with varying levels of their importance in the different books. So, this is the second main character elf and a section of story from before he was banned from his home city.




Sweet smells of cinnamon, hops and flowers filled the air in an odd, magical mixture. It was a tedious chore to grind each individual leaf, flower and stem from the variety of plants that were used for their healing abilities. It was mindless work, the type that allowed Daemahrath to remain deep in thought while he went through the motions. Lady Lilathel would be gone all day, attending to a few patients, and so he had the hut to himself.

Daemahrath paused, putting his tool down to give his hand a break. The table top was covered with the plants that needed worked on, and along the bar by the window hung more plants drying. He wanted to get all the work on the table done for Lilathel but didn't know if he could make it.

He didn't mind the work. He would do anything for Lilathel, since she'd raised him after he had been abandoned as a baby. Working for the city healer had its perks, as well as many drawbacks.

As descendants of the Woodland Elves, the elves of Thailea were still weary of anything close to magic. They were part of the group that had protested the slaughter of another Elven race and eventually left to form their own city. Thus came Thailea, located in the lush green mountains far away from any other type of civilization. Even though there were all from the same group, there was a huge difference between Daemahrath and the rest of the city.

They all had the same light features, blonde or light brown hair combined with either green or blue eyes. Daemahrath's hair was black and short as to not get in any of the pills or potions he had to make. He had eyes that were as gray as the clouds before a midnight storm. It was because of this difference that he spent his days alone. He had the same classes that all boys his age were required to take part in, but he had no friends. Everyone avoided him as much as they possibly could. He felt like an outsider.

Taking a break from the herb crushing, Daemahrath moved over to the cauldron to check the temperature of the dark brew. It had cooled down enough to bottle. Using a strainer, he poured liquid down through the hole of a glass bottle.

He had just gotten the cork on his fifth bottle when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." He wiped his hands clean as a messenger came into the main room of the hut. "How may I help you?"

It was one of the royal family's servants. He had the nice, yet simple dress of a messenger but the look on his face was one of panic. "Lady Lilathal is needed at once. The prince is injured and losing blood fast. Where is she?"

"She's away with a different client." Daemahrath had to think fast. He wasn't supposed to do any healing because they didn't want anyone to know the amount of his abilities. But he didn't have much of a choice. Grabbing some herbs and wraps, he prepared a bag in a hurry. "Take me to the prince."