A Novel in 21 Days Exercises
Race
The mighty Behihirs, born from the wish for knowledge and wisdom. Decendants from the mighty dragons, who wanted to live in peace, in search for the ultimate truth. Their power sealed inside the Crystal Tree of Life to prevent those who wanted it, to never obtain it.
Escaping from destruction and violence, their dragon ancestors fled into the mountains, looking for shelter and embracing the oportunity to remain hidden by the power of the tree that was already there. It drained their power, reducing them into mere memories of their greatness, forever binding them to its influence and will.
Views of Society
Even now, having reached the fifteen years he frowns upon social rigidity. The families being organized around those who prove their superior intellect and wisdom, but seldom thinking about creativity or inventive. The pyre of Light always composed by those who wish to remain anonimous, unseen, hidden, keeping their knowledge to themselves instead of sharing it to the world.
Based in inteligence and wisdom, it has privileged those who tend to be more pacific and cult. Many had been the developments achieved by few generations, being able to build enduring structures, to record knowledge indefinitely and treasuring art and science along with natural beauty and magic.
Dreams
Many and full of beauty, the poet inside him struggles to grow. His mind always busy inventing stories and trying to escape from the academic and phlegmatic enviroment of study and learning he has always been a part of. Recently his work has eveolved into a sort of political protest against the anonimity of the Behihirs, researching about the methods by which he might be able to get to the outer world to spread knowledge.
Saddly, Hannah, his best friend fears the outsiders and doesn't want to leave the shelter offered by the tree and the mountains. His thoughts of freedom and exploration haunt her dreams and thoughts as if they were of her own, but twisted and distorted, making him feel very guilty for scaring her.
Magic
His natural talent to wield the elements astonishes even the elders. His elemental breathing technic has improved a lot since he began his training in the woods, away from the tedious theoretic classes all his peers had to take before practicing their innate ability. Responsability and prudence were not of his personal liking, although he understands they are important, but he thinks life is too short to get stuck by such trivialities.
Somehow, whenever Acuzio makes magic he feels like a void begins to build up inside of him, a strange flow of incredible nothingness begins to fill his heart and mind. His research hasn't showed progress on this matter, mostly because he can't ask the elders, or the keepers of the crystal carvings, or the troubadours of the trees.
Opinion on Symbiosis
His bond to his Sternenstaub has always been his best part. Allowing him to understand Hannah better than anyone, leting him communicate with her without saying anything, and compeling him to take out the best of himself to see her smile. Her artistic sense and general happiness have in more than one occasion, helped him to find himself among the gray and tedious life of his kind.
But it has also meant a lot of preocupation and concern. His life is bond to hers in such a powerful way, that his life would burn quickly would she go away or cease to exist. The void he feels sometimes affects her, making her loose brightness and color, like if something was stealing the very life from her.
Short Term Goals :
-Get out from the Crystal Dome and travel the world. Mostly Hannah's fear to outsiders and her dependance to the Tree of Life's magic stop him from going out.
-Find out about the void sensation and why does it affects Hannah. Experimentation has always been very sporadic, since it makes Hannah feel ill, and asking the elders might very well extinguish his opportunity of escaping the Dome.
Long Term Goals :
-Be able to return to the original form of his ancestors. The very existance of his race is based on the power of the Tree of Life and challenging its designs is a very dangerous practice to do in his Society.
Idiosyncrasy
Although she reveres life and civilization, she defends herself if necesary. Her people usually prefers to solve things peacefully. But her friends are starting to learn more offensive ways to settle disputes, unlike the prior generations.
She secretly trains her magical abilities, to protect those she loves. As she gets better at controling her powers, she feels destructively powerful. A shadow of self reprimend covers her heart after this episodes and her fears of betraying her own nature grows.
General Mood
She seems happy all the time, even when she is crying inside. Her best friend usually tells her not to save saddness to herself but to share it to him and those who love her. He is always there for here when she needs him, be it in a smile, in a song or a friendly word.
Sometimes she and her friend get away to the forest, and scream. They free all the tensions they have carried until then in the scream and let their lungs be filled by pure air from the mountains. They usually talk about how their peers always expect them to thrive and be happy, even in times when darkness seems to obscure future.
Appareance
An ethereal glow seems to emmanate from her as she moves. Her graceful movements and delicate features give her a mesmerizing beauty, rare even among her kind. She has never been vain or haughty, but she likes compliments as everyone else, and as she gets brighter, her hopes and dreams grow faster and bigger.
When she was younger, she wanted to be beautiful as her mother. She always wanted her colors to be as bright as hers, and somehow she found herself dressing in very bright colors, using many flowers and natural pigments to cover her body. As the general success seems to be directly proportional to one's beauty, she thought that way she would attract color to herself, but eventually she began loosing faith in aquiring those colors, and beneth the colorful dresses she always wears, she is pale and somewhat gray.
Abilities
She is used to collect honey from the bees her family breeds. Also she likes to compose songs and poems with Nature and its many wonders as central theme. Her knowledge on languages is vast, as it is her artistic culture, a trait she shares with the Erzherzogin.
However, she always had admired those who train both phisically and mentally. Her intelectual pride urges her to develop in other paths of knowledge, different from the mere appraising and full of flat facts knowledge. Lately she has found her daily tasks repetitive and monotonous, prefering to dream about adventures like those told in the anual celebration of the Crystal Tree of Life blossoming.
Fears
She fears outsiders, and hopes they never find her settlement or family. Lately this fear has been increasing, as news from the borders arrive at the region she lives in. Nightmares and paranoia has started to afflict her on a regular basis, interfearing with both her normal performance on her duties, and with her mental health.
She gets some comfort when thinking that her settlement is well hidden. The mountains she has always loved create a protective barrier around her and her people, making it more dificult to outsiders to enter the valley she lives in. And her people is used to remain unseen, even among themselves, mostly due to their living habits, underground hallways and treetop condominium.
Short Term Goals :
-Learn enough magic to defend herself and those she loves from any threat. Her culture and teachings has always been deeply rooted on her mind, so rebelling upon them nearly always leaves the taste of guilt on her mouth.
-Find adventures within the Crystal Dome. Her fear to outsiders keeps her from travelling to far away or looking for ways out of the dome, loosing her hiding place is something she is very reclutant to do.
Long Term Goals :
-Develop tones of skin as colorful as her mother's. Her people views on the colors of Sternenstaub is of acceptance, for this the only way to do this would be looking for a source of color outside the Tree of Life's circle of protection, something that might be deadly for her, since she depends on its magic to survive.
Past
Every time, her eyes look farther and farther in history. Mesmerized by the knowledge carved into the threads of time, she trains herself to be able to go further in her voyage to the beginings of civilization. Her innate talent to handle the flows of time itself is a rare, but not unseen one in her village.
Her own past has been very agitated, from a lovely childhood spent in beauty and love, passing through a difficult adolescence as her training began and developed. Now her past ressembles that of a wanderer and traveller.
Truth
An illusion created to hold the masses down, simply a domination tool. Being someone who has seen so many realities throught the exploration of time, she knows that truth depends on the ruling caste of turn. She tries to be true to her beliefs and to have an open mind to change them accordingly to what she learns and how she evolves.
Her own truth is yet to show itself, but fireflies seem to be somehow very atuned to it. Her powers grow stronger everytime she is surrounded by these insects, and she is resolved to find out what is her goddes expecting from her.
Present
Travelling with her best friend, searching a way to save their home. Her mission presented itself to her in a prophecy long recorded by the oracles of her home village. She and her friend Ari now seek those who have the destiny of civilization in their hands.
A difficult task, but she is taking it with a smile and with optimism. Her trip has taught her that the world is worth saving, and that her path is not as hidden as she thought it would be.
Illusion
A misperception of something we call reality, an incongruence of the past. Truly a very common thing, usually associated to magic and might, but more often than not, found in every expression of sentient behaviour. The concept of having only one truth to belive in, and the difficulty to change it make all those who oppose change slaves of their own illusions.
But illusions are a very important part of one's feelings and emotions. They separate us from automats and make our lives exciting and mysterious.
Future
The everchanging consequences of our present, tied to our past, predictable sometimes. Specially when the present is somehow attached to the past very closely, prediction is an easy thing. Our real future right now is to be destroyed by the burning sunrise, and that is what we want to change.
But in order to do this, those who havew the ability to change the current flow of time, must leave their preconceptions and be prepared to confront what destiny has prepared for them. It won't be easy, nor it is writen they will succeed, but they are our only hope right now, and we will help them achieve it.
Long Term Goals
-To save civilization from the Burning Sunrise. The many paths that must be completed before the final task could be fullfilled is long, and time passes at the same rate as always.
-To live peacefully with Ari in her village. Right now, her current mission is more important, as her future is tightly dependant to the future of all civilization.
Short term Goals
-To find those who have been chosen to help save civilization. Their whereabouts remain hidden to her elders and their future and past seem to haven't existed at all, making it very hard to find them.
-To be powerful enough to be useful in the task that lay ahead of their path. The inability to know what exactly lies ahead of their path makes it very obscure to know that if they become more powerful, the question of powerful how doesn't arise.
The light entered freely through the many leaves that hanged peacefully in the treetops, giving the forest a golden-green colour. A few creeks flowed nearby, filling the place with the calming sound of running water. A few birds were singing as some rays of light fell over a yellowish tablet, about a feet long and half a feet wide, with many carvings on both sides of it. Its surface was semitransparent and light could get through it, spreading into an ambaric beam of light which colored up the soil beneth it.
Gently, a pair of hands held the tablet a few feet over the ground and were carefully pouring some water from a crystal vial over it. The water, bluish in colour seemed to fill every hole made when the table was constructed, thus highlighting the writing, and making it easier to read. The rounded borders, the elegant calligraphy and the deep color of the amber were signs of a careful process of creation. Somehow, Acuzio felt he knew who had sent the tablet to him. His gaze then went to the beginning of the text and he began to read:
"Hannah, Acuzio,
A lot has happened since we left the dome and headed to the column of the four winds. A lot indeed. However, my travel has not yet concluded, and somehow I feel that yours has just started. Ziartha, the serene one, has indicated me to go back home. Apparently, something important is going to happen near the forest of the dawn, and now I believe its the next signal. I wanted to reach you first, and talk to you before departing again, but time is mischievous, and the path I had to follow was that of leaving as soon as possible. I took the time to write this in order to let you know my whereabouts.
You should continue towards the centre of Talernar, there you will find the Ancient ruins of Rengus, the forgotten city of the Zaphire Lake. Shall you feel lost, you only have to follow the river to the East. Ari will guide you through this part of the voyage, and we will meet again when you reach the ports to the east.
Please remember why you do this journey and if you need to communicate with me, just make a circle of stones and place vials with fireflies on them. Ari knows how to do it. I pray for you to arrive safetly to the ports of Anthar.
May Ziartha, the godess of Fate be with you.
Cass."
-Why did you left us!
-It was the only way Acuzio. Lady Ziartha is not predictable, and her ways are to be followed exactly or the outcome might vary too much to be of any use.
-Still.... We needed you, and you simply took the liberty to leave! Now Ari is gone, and we didn't know where to look for him.
-Ari, he wanted you to be safe. He surely wants us to complete the mission. Everything is lost if we do not continue.
-Have you seen it, oracle? Are you sure the fire of his life is to perish for our quest to be fullfilled?
-No, I have not, Acuzio. Lady Ziartha is the one who chooses how and when visions come.
-Then we are lost, and so it's Ari.
-If this was ment to happen, then it is not our right to judge why.
-I simply don't care about what you or your Lady might think. Ari helped us and let himself be caprtured in order to give us an opportunity to escape, and now you are saying that we will leave him to his fate.
-His fate is not writen, or I would have seen it. We share a link, the same way you share a link with Hannah.
-Then how can you even think about leaving him! If Hannah was on danger, I would never, ever leave her.
-You think I don't care, son of the Dragons, but you are wrong! My heart shatters when I think about his fate, and my mind flies to him whenever I am not looking into the future! I almost can't stand to think he is gone, but our mission is more important that me, or how I feel, and he knew that as well. Perhaps the only way for you to finish the path was with him being captured, I don't know!
I simply remember, all the times we played on the temple, and the many nights we talked until the sun rised, with tears in my eyes, with sorrow in my heart. And you dare questioning me or my actions!
-I... I am sorry Cass. I didn't mean to be so harsh on you. But you leave me no choice. We need Ari to complete the journey. We can't leave him in the hands of the Sky Rippers!
-If that is the only way to achieve our purpose, then it has to be done. Our feelings can not interfere, or everything is lost.
-By the Tree of Life, I shall find a way. You said we were out of Fate itself, that our paths were yet to be constructed. well I say we go to the Ruins and search for the lost ceptre of the Sun. With him we will be able to free Ari and to aid the resitance in its fight agains the Underdark minions.
-You speak bravely and passionately, but you forget that the enemy has the chains of doom in their power. If they managed to put them to you or to Hannah, then your path will forever be written, and all attempts to change it would result in certain death for any of the followers of Ziartha.
-I am willing to take that risk.
-Well, I am not.
A soft breeze moved the long grass in the meadow, while in the heights of the sky the clouds moved flawlessly through a sea of calmness. The bright noon suns shone in the middle of it, lighting up the great valley of Talernar. A small grove of yellowish ashes and reddish oaks moved rhythmically, under the blue sky, and among them a storm was taking place.
-Why did you left us! - Acuzio's eyes shone with anger, while he shouted at Cassidy, imbued with the power that his ancestors left for him to take.
-It was the only way Acuzio. Lady Ziartha is not predictable, and her ways are to be followed exactly or the outcome might vary too much to be of any use. - She appeared to be in control of her emotions, her soothing words being carefully chosen without stopping to think too much.
-Still.... We needed you, and you simply took the liberty to leave! - Acuzio looked at her, fire pouring out from his eyes. His words spitted away in a strange mixture of annoyance and rage. - Now Ari is gone, and we didn't know where to look for him. - His hands crisped into fists, his expression fierce and tired. Until a new face came to the surface, replacing the mask of anger it was before. The eyes aiming the ground, the fingers more relaxed.
"Acuzio, Ari wanted you to be safe." Cass’ leaned forward, a gentle smile on his face, her hands slowly approaching his. Her long hair waving in the wind, his eyes shining in the shaded light that made it through the thick folliage of the trees that protected us, both from being seen and from the scorching rays of the suns, they made me remember the Erherzogin. "He surely wants us to complete the mission. Everything is lost if we do not continue."
"Have you seen it, oracle? Are you sure the fire of his life is to perish for our quest to be fulfilled?" A subtle change on his eyes was all that accopanied Acuzio’s gesture, as he gave a step back. But somehow all his face had changed with it.
Cass’ arms then rested at her side, when her eyes met again Acuzio’s. Her face too was beginning to become of stone. "No, I have not, Acuzio. Lady Ziartha is the one who chooses how and when visions come."
"Then we are lost, and so it's Ari." A cruel grin, a sublte change of posture made by Acuzio, and Cass’ hands were the ones that crisped into fists, her lips barely moving as she spoke. "If this was meant to happen, then it is not our right to judge why."
Acuzio raised his hand into the air without breaking eye contact, while his eyes burned again with fire. -I simply don't care about what you or your Lady might think. Ari helped us and let himself be captured in order to give us an opportunity to escape, and now you are saying that we will leave him to his fate.
Cass looked away, her lips tightly pressed against eachother, her white skin shining like marble and her gaze lost in the hills on the horizon. Her words trying to get the grasp of what she really felt. -His fate is not written, or I would have seen it. We share a link, the same way you share a link with Hannah.
-Then how can you even think about leaving him! If Hannah was on danger, I would never, ever leave her.
And then she looked shocked at Acuzio. His face was of fear and anger, but mostly of contempt. Cass’ right hand flew towards Acuzio’s face, and hit him in the cheek. His face turned right as her hand pushed it that way. His eyes loosing all the rage they had been keeping, his face completely astonished. Cass’ eyes shone then with coldness while her hand moved vigorously through the air. Her face was filled with sorrow, and desolation, her eyes were full of tears while she looked directly at Acuzio's eyes. -You think I don't care, son of the Dragons, but you are wrong! My heart shatters when I think about his fate, and my mind flies to him whenever I am not looking into the future! I almost can't stand to think he is gone, but our mission is more important that I, or how I feel, and he knew that as well. Perhaps the only way for you to finish the path was with him being captured, I don't know!
She then looked away, at the horizon, her features getting softer. She then wrapped her arms around herself, while crystal tears flowed away from her eyes, through her cheeks -I simply remember, all the times we played on the temple, and the many nights we talked until the sun rose, with tears in my eyes, with sorrow in my heart. - And suddenly she looked at Acuzio's eyes once more, and her gaze was too powerful for him to hold it. -And you dare questioning me or my actions!
Acuzio turn his head away, looking at the ground. Cass eyes pierced him as a few drops of salty water reached the ground. -I... I am sorry Cass. I didn't mean to be so harsh on you. But you leave me no choice. We need Ari to complete the journey. We can't leave him in the hands of the Sky Rippers!
-If that is the only way to achieve our purpose, then it has to be done. Our feelings can not interfere, or everything is lost.
Then Acuzio's eyes filled up with light and determination. But this time, it was not the fire of anger but the flames of hope which gave his face a golden glow. He raised his right hand and stretched his wings, and then as he flapped them, he cut the air with his hand. -By the Tree of Life, I shall find a way. You said we were out of Fate itself; that our paths were yet to be constructed. Well I say we go to the Ruins and search for the lost scepter of the Sun. With him we will be able to free Ari and to aid the resistance in its fight against the Underdark minions.
Cass' face was of cold calculations, and held the dim light of those who know the near future. -You speak bravely and passionately, but you forget that the enemy has the chains of doom in their power. If they managed to put them to you or to Hannah, then your path will forever be written, and all attempts to change it would result in certain death for any of the followers of Ziartha.
Acuzio raised his face to the sky, a smile appearing in his lips. -I am willing to take that risk.
Cass' face remained the same. -Well, I am not.
Acuzio
A strict society too blind on its own shining to see that its development has reached a state of degeneration due to a lack of balance in their persuits of enlightment. The purely intelectual focus it has reached has hampered his lyrical abilities, leaving his artist soul trapped and angry. A long time has passed since the arts were part of the Behihirs life and beauty was valued by its own. Now an isolated world of crystal and lazyness is beginign to fall under its own pride.
A long abandoned surface seems to withdraw little interest int he elders and the enlightened ones, thus letting Acuzio wander among the beauty of the forests and the many lakes, dreaming and thinking about the wanders of the world and the adventures that might be. SAddly, his professors are not pleased with his absences to the teachings and the rituals. They see with growing concern how his independence of the tree continues to grow insted of diminishing as the years pass. Too much time without drinking the crimson water of the Crystal Lake, they say. Too much time away from the cocoa incenses smoke they assume.
The power of his ancestors are great in him, although he rarely is selected to taste the concoctions prepared with the Crystal Cocoa Beans droped by the tree once every 40 years during the eclipse. The elders are impressed by his superior grasp of raw magic knowledge and they suspect he trains secretly, away from the paths the council of light thinks is the best.
A silent resentment towards his own nature has been growing inside him as his using of magic gets more powerful. His isolation from the knowledge of his people keeps him from understanding the base of the power he wields, and although he understands there is a link between his abilities and the tree, he has never wished to be more united with it.
Somehow his instinct tells him that his place is outside the great dome of crystal. The stories of the tree troubadours have conquered his spirit and his heart. Much time has he spend wandering through immaginary roads on the large plains of the old world, sailing through the great seas and flying through the mighty skies of the wolrd his ancestors once ruled.
The cultural opinion on the bond between the Behihirs and the Sternenstaub has always seemed too dull to Acuzio. For him, the union is mystical and very special, while his society explains it in terms of symbiosis. A mutual benefical exchange of magic connects the two beings turning them into a single magical entity, thus giving them certain abilities and properties. This upsets Acuzio, who sees this union as the fussion of two souls rather than an alchemical balance. His mind explores the realms of poetry and beauty to describe the feeling of knowing eachother's thoughts and to sense through eachother's senses.
Hannah
Long has Hannah longed for acceptance and for the pride of her family. However, her lack of colour has shunned her by her society, making her develop a insecure personality and a need for please others which undermines her selfesteem more and more as she gets older. Her mother, a very colourful Sternenstaub has always been supportive, but the ghost of the expectation for her development has chased her since she celebrated her first eclipse.
Her bond with nature is great, and thought her kind once were tunned up with every being that lived inside the crystal dome. Now they simply take care of the mushrooms and the bees to obtain food. Her language abilities are also very impressive, but again, even when in the past, the Sternenstaub used to reseach in the linguistic area of knowledge, their vanity has tied them to perfect the magic of beauty and the color, and they have left the development of the other senses to wither and be in the throes of death.
She has managed to obtain one of the few treaties of the Sternener, the language to communicate with the living, taking advantage of one of Acuzio's relatives, who works on the Library of Light. She has also practiced offensive and defensive magic, but somehow she feels that it somehow alters the delicate bond that exists between herself and Acuzio. Her peers have always pickend on her for her lack of colour, their aggressive behaviour seems to be new to the elders, but they expect that it is due to the long time that has passed since the last blossoming of the tree. This behaviour, however, has encouraged Hannah to face the social chains that forbids her to use non beauty magic, or to meddle with Behihir knowledge.
The stories told by the trovadours have always frightened her. Her insecurity merged with the tales of the Sternenstaub who have travelled to far away from the tree have filled her with fear towards leaving her home, and joining Acuzio in his adventures. A strong tension between them appears whenever he thinks about it. The images flash through Hannah's mind without Acuzio's ability to stop them, and the fear she feels fills him without her ability to control it. The outsiders have also gained a place in the nightmares that haunt Hannah in the nights, and she knows that her fear scares Acuzio as well, although he is not afraid of such things.
Guilt is very present in her heart, for her culture dictates one thing and her heart, says another, an almost every aspect of her life. However, those around her seem to not know what crosses her mind. Such is her ability to go unnoticed and such is her mastery of hidding her thoughts and emotions, from all but the one she would like to hide them the most.
Cassidy
A strong family tradition, and a powerful sense of duty have dominated Cass' life almost all her life. A loving family, and a life long friend have consolidated her powerful personality and have encouraged her development of her innate powers. A tough training and a cryptic prophecy have shaped her path and have gave her the wind she needed to be able to fly.
Her beliefs are monopolized by her vows of servitude, and its Ziartha, the godess of Fate, of Prophecies and the lost Souls, patron of Oracles and Prophets, who holds the monopoly. She has lived in the village of the Oracles since she was borne and had always wanted to be an Oracle.
Her guides and masters have witnessed in her display of power one of the greatest potentials in many years, and were completely overwhelmed when she proved to be one of the heralds of Ziartha, of whom the prophecy of the Burning Dawn spoke of. They granted her status of Oracle a few years before she ended her training, and was sent to travel the world in search of the remaining heralds, while she gained experience and power.
The emperess herself has shown great interest in her development, and several times has requested her aid in matters of the utmost immportance for the empire. Cass has always performed flawlessly to this tests and has gained many allies and knowledge, along with permissions and titles on her many travels.
Somehow, however, her ability to know things other beings ignore, even before they happen, has left a scar on her soul, which has made her indiferent to many things that she once cared about. Her duty has in so many times interfered with her principles, that she has reached a state in which her acceptance of her fate is comparable to that of the great master oracles of her village.
Both the flow of time and the flow of space are understanded by her, and the perspective of not being able to predict where the last two heralds will appear, or which is their whereabouts, if they already exist, frustate her and make her even more cold and distant, even from her loved ones.
Acuzio
The social rigidity and the general attitude towards the outside world, have created a veil of ignorace of what might be outside the dome which has kept Acuzio from wandering outside of it. His culture also shuns those who go against the will of the tree, which provides them with the magic and knowledge they need.
His experiments with magic have been few and quick, fearing someone might discover about his activities. He is very afraid of what might happen if the Council of Light would know of his practices. Also the bond that he shares with Hannah, and which transmits the void sensation to her has stopped him from experimenting everytime he could have.
However, his contact with the Library of Light has provided him with much true knowledge which has allowed him to create a plan to escape and to start his investigations.
His main goal, however is to achieve the complete transformation into his ancestors form. To become a Dragon once again. But the traditions of his people say that only by breaking the seal of the Crystal Cocoa Tree of Life one could manage to do so. And his entire society depends on the Tree, to breake the seal, thus destroying the tree, would probably endanger everything he has ever knowed and loved, even Hannah.
Hannah
To defend herself, to learn magic, to think on her own defying the teachings of the elders, turning her back at society. Surely a dangerous thing to do when the colours seem to avoid you, and the looks of peers and superiors alike pierce through her eyes to see one single pretext to confine her.
To find adventures is a dream she always kept and treasured in her heart. But leaving the peace of the dome is something she is not willing to do. Saddly, not much happens inside the dome. The stories of the rebels are long leyends, and many generations have passed since the other races were expelled from the dome.
To be colourful, as her mother is something she only might achieve by leaving the dome, and looking for wisdom and knowledge outside of its walls. The Council of Light thinks that one's colours are one's destiny, and attempting to go against your colours is to defy the Tree itself.
Cassidy
The search of power and of the heralds of Ziartha seem to be conected, but somehow Cass' powers seem to be useless when applied to the future or past of the missing heralds. Her self confidence and her oracle pride have been pending on a thin line after the seventh herald was found. Her travels take her farther every time, and the empire itself is helping her and those who accompany her to make her task easier.
To save the world from the Burning Dawn she has to find the last two heralds of the prophecy. But she is completely lost in her quest to find them.
Similarly, her dreams of living peacefully in her village with Ari depends on her helping save the world. However, the veil he Tree of life has erected, isolates the dome from fate, since the dragons were out of it in the first palce, but Cass doesn't know this.
Acuzio
If he would achieve his goal of being able to recover the form of his ancestors, the Tree of Life would die, dooming all the Behihirs and Sternenstaub civilization to an end. The Sternenstaub would probably die unless they can find a place where they could draw magic from the enviroment, and even then, their race would soon cease to exist, since they are born from the Tree.
Other than that, the world would once again see the mighty Dragons fly through the sky, and much of the magic and the knowledge that was once lost would come back. If the heralds of Fate gather him as an ally, his form would prove very useful in stopping the summoners of the Burning Dawn.
The first obstacle, would be to fight against the will of the Tree of life, to get out from the dome. Then, if he gets out, he would have to find the knowledge to break the seal of the tree. Many will try to stop him, for his existance was predicted by a prophecy a long time ago. Finally, he would have to overcome the feeling of guilt and his fear of destroying everything he once held dear, and to doom the Sternenstaub to extintion.
If he fails, he will eventually be burned out by the magic inside of him, or he will be eaten by the void that grows inside of him, everytime he uses magic.
Hannah
If she manages to learn how to develop colors, all the culture the Sternenstaub have created on the last decades would be shaken, and soon she would understand that the more colors the Tree gave to a particular Sternenstaub, the more control it had on her. Finding colors from a different source, would only increment the independance to the Tree, thus allowing her to survive. But the colors the Tree can give, are the only ones that she knows to exist. If the Tree ceased to exist, she would never be able to be colorful, and even more, she would probably begin to die.
To achieve her goal, she would have to overcome her fears and be able to get out from the dome. Then she would have to find knowledge of powerful magic and/or find a way to draw magic from the Tree. Her existance too was predicted by an ancient prophecy, and many wish her to cease to exist.
If she fails, when she dies her shallow connection to the Tree would retain a small part of her essence, and the rest of her will become star dust, and will disappear.
Cassidy
Her goal to save civilization and life is one of the hardest to achieve. If she succeds, the known world will forever change, as the Burning Dawn would never take place, and the Human Empire of Talernar would Fall. The elves and dwarves will be able to return from their exile and the gnomes and perions will be able to return to their cities. The final battle against the Drow would rise and the last shard of the Sphere of Everlasting Absorption will be destroyed, freeing the Drow from their ten thousand curse, and allowing the gods to enter the world once more. The vampires and the fairies, the gargoyles and the dragons will again rule their realms, and the cities of Ranthar will be reconstructed.
The first obstacle in doing this, is to overcome the will of the Tree to be able to see the fate of the last two heralds of Ziartha. Then the summoners of the Burning Dawn will try to kill the heralds, and the drows will send their Sky Rippers and their doom chainers to stop them from gathering power. Finally, the Emperor of Talernar will try to stop them from using their power to destroy his empire.
If she fails, the world will be shattered by the Burning Dawn, and the Drows will finally have their revenge. Darkness will fill every corner of the world as the minions of the Underdark will be freed. All life except that of the Empire of Talernar will cease to exist, and the floating City will be the last memory of what once was the most thriving culture of the world.
Acuzio's Scene
The shadow of the clouds moved swiftly over the long green grass that covered the meadow. The excitation of a new place to know, a new chance to uncover the secrets buried under centuries of self-indulgence and unsavvy isolation. There, before him, the capital of the great Circle of Ranthar rested, along with the last remains of a long lost civilization.
The gentle white light that made it through the clouds that were covering the suns on that precise moment reached what once was the exterior walls, and they shone brightly with a bluish splendor. Besides the majestic foudations of the great settlement, the Saphire Lake lay still and undisturbed, like a deep blue mirror, reflecting the pure light blue sky. A profound sensation of peace filled my heart as I walked through the soft herb and saw that wonderful landscape. What was left of the great Silver Mountains could still be seen from the deep valley, and to the East, the vast sea of Thethis could be percieved if the light was right.
“It is so beautiful.” Acuzio said with his eyes wide open looking at the lake and the hint of a smile in his lips. “I agree.” Answered Ari, his eyes set on the beautifully carved wall that so many years ago protected the inhabitants of the Circle of Ranthar against the Drow invasion. “I thought I had seen all the beauty of the world, when I was in the dome, but not even the forest of the thousand sparkles is compared with this.”
A soft breeze flowed across the silent city, and the echoes of the past rised faintly into the great sky and through the valley. “This place is not like the rest of the wild lands. Even after countless invasions of the dark dwellers it still retains its beauty and purity. I think we will be safe for some days.” Ari serious face barely moved as he said the words. The wind carried them quickly, and soon they were lost in the inmensity of the fields around them.
Suddenly, the clouds moved on on their celestial travel, ant the suns poured their golden and turqoise lights over the shining rests of the once powerful city. Like a vein of precious metals under a green layer of grass and leaves, the mysterious buildings called for someone to unveil its secrets.
The steps that sepatared Acuzio from the city were the most revered and careful of his life, trying hard to not disturb the lying beauty that had survived in that small patch of land. He felt the power of the stones and the sadness of the trees, and soon he was before the mighty arches that once held the doors that for two hundred years resisted the Drow site. “This reminds me of my home.” Acuzio said, while some tears reached his eyes. “This lake is so much alike the Crystal Lake in which the Tree grows. I wonder how much it ressembles the Crystal Lake when it was blue.” Above the arches, a phrase in elvish read: “The City of truth and beauty, besides the Lake that will shine until the end of time.”
Hannah's Scene
The wind blowed the flowers of the trees that flanked the road through which she was flying over. A feeling of sorrow and inmense awe filled her mind and soul, as she could feel the sadness of the flowers, the despair of the trees and the anguish of the earth. Too much they had seen the death of their surroundings. Too long had they pressenced the awful punishment the land had taken. The breeze carried the laments of all those souls doomed to walk eternally through the roads that led to the white and bluish city on the deep valley they had just entered.
The light that managed to filter through the clouds lighted the many white and blue flowers that filled the plains around the city. The road they were following soon became two roads, one of which led to the Lake, where it endede in a lush vegetation, with many trees and bushes. The other road led to the city entrance. What once was a thriving city, now was only a half buried skelleton, shining in the morning suns, clean from all flesh by looters and invaders.
“It makes my heart cry, while my eyes rejoy with so much beauty.” Hannah’s words floated like silk in the wind, carried gently by the wind, and treasured in the memory of the stones. Ari looked at her and said: “This place has seen much suffering, but its beauty remains as it was when the elves lived in here.” Hannah looked at Ari with his hazel eyes and her body seemed to shine a little brighter for a moment. “This beauty has been here for too long. The flowers are tired and the stones suffer with each scar the earth is tarnished with in other places. They can feel, they can percieve all that happens, for they have been here since the Earth first saw the elves, and with them they share the gift of eternity.” Ari just stood there, thinking about what Hannah said, her words piercing into his heart and mind. It felt like submerging into cold water. “The elves are truly an amazing race, but if they suffer as much as their homes, then their blessing is also their curse.”
A soft breeze flowed like a silent cry from the thousend of essences that were gifted with eternity, their voices rising and dying almost instantly, but being forever recorded in Hannah’s heart.
She then decided to approach the Lake and she flew elegantly through the pure air until the sparkles the suns rays created on the lake’s surfice covered it entirely. “The golden-blue chromatic Fantasia.” Ari said, while the little Sternenstaub descended until her tiny feet touched the ground. She then walked through the white-blue sand and knelt besides the blue lake. “A tear shed for you, mirror of the sky blue, looking right into the night’s gaze, beholding of all nature’s truth.” She continued there long after the suns were gone, admininr the vast surface that all tha suffering had behold. And with the coming of the first born stars, a new flame was ignited in her heart, replacing fear, replacing doubt, resolving her to erase all the world’s scars.
Cassidy
A shiver travelled down my spine when I saw the remains of the Capital City of Ranthar, Rengus. Its beautifully carved walls were the subject of legends, and even in a place so far away from this, the stories of the city of Saphire were told to children by the elders. I had dreamt many times with it. The perfectly kept streets and facades. The high impolluted towers, the magical aura that surrounded every part of it, just as it should have been when it shone, when it was the centre of the civilized world. The flags with the white sea serpent and the music that emerged at the sunsrise and at the sunsfall enthralled my mind and guided my sight while I realised that it was only a false hope my heart has treasured.
I secretly cursed the invaders for destroying what it might have been the most beautiful jewel set in the face of our world. An aquamarine besides a star sapphire, at equilibrium made eachother look even more beautiful that if apart, on their own, each one fostering eachother’s qualities. The careful and patient hands of the elves could be seen everywhere, since the placing of the trees and the geaometrical structure of the walls to the carvings on the buildings and the angles of the branches.
Anger and desolation filled my senses, my spirit and my will for a moment. And I wished that everything ended, just to allow the rest of the world to rest, after seeing such beauty, and now having fall into the darkness and oblivion. But then I understood. It would not end there; it would not be rest for us. We would be tortured, doomed to spent the rest of our hours watching how every grasp of beauty, every patch of green, every thread of imagination were destroyed, and knowing that it would be forever lost.
Two roads, two possible outcomes, which of them should I have followed? A stone, carved with a poem in elvish, and a gem placed in its centre were all the answer I received from the forces of Nature. I approached and touched it, perhaps one of my companions had touched it before, I thought. A lonely tear travelled through my cheek while I wandered into the past and saw the battle that took place at the shadows of the city. A sudden attack, the chains of doom, a boat white as the ivory, blue as the Sapphire Lake, ancient as the poetry of the elves, as the foundations of the mountains, a magic beyond my understanding, a power outside fate itself.
Not everything was lost, but much has been lost. A grimoire and a colour forever lost in the depths of the home of the White Sea Serpent. Perhaps in a better era someone will be able to recover them. For now, I had found a new road for me to follow, travelling by the river which reached the Sea of Thethis.
Hope. I needed nothing else. Ari however, needed my help. But then again, it was not my decision to make.
Tag Line:
A prophecy has been predicted, but Fate is not written on stone. Shall the world survive to see another Dawn?
Blurb:
Cass was just a little girl, when the elders of her tribe knew she was one of the heralds of Fate. A destiny greater than her took her around the world looking for the other heralds. Now the last two have to be found before the summoners of the Burning Dawn awake the long exiled Drow, and fulfill the prophecy that foreshadows the end of civilization, and the rising of the Dark empire once more. Will she be able to defy Fate itself to accomplish what only can be accomplished by those who make their own destiny?
Acuzio
1.1 While on the forest, Acuzio concentrates. He is standing, with his wings stretched and his eyes closed. He slowly begins to rise his hands and arms and a flow of intertwined words come out of his mouth. A sudden flash and some sparkles appear from his hands at the same time that the glow of Hannah dimminished conspicuously.
1.2 Hannah falls to the ground, and feeling her pain, Acuzio stops his training and comes to her side.
1.3 A deep conversation without words happens between them and their eyes connect with eachothers'.
1.4 Acuzio tries to remember what he has been taught about magic and about the Sternenstaub, he manages to remember a few things and after looking around he quickly and gently picks her up and takes her near the river.
1.5 The reddish glow of the river fills her, and soon her inner shining returns.
Hannah
2.1 Hannah's continual exposition to the reddish glow of the waters of the tree is increasing her dependance to its magic.
2.2 As she wanders with Acuzio to the borders of the dome, she gets scared by a sudden flash and she casts a protective shield around her. The overpower sensation posseses her, along with a strange understanding. She is getting dependant to the Tree's magic, and there, away from the tree, she draws magic from Acuzio to make magic.
2.3 The realization of this makes her understand that both her fear to the outsiders and her inability to fit in her society were produced by a counterposition of forces. One was the Tree's will, the other, her will. This makes her decide that she will leave he dome.
2.4 She begins to talk to the plants and animals that are farther from the Tree, and begins to gather interesting information. She then achieves a level of power that allows her to isolate herself from the Tree's influence. When she does this, she begins to feel that other sources of power exist.
2.5 Finally, with help from the outside, Hannah and Acuzio are able to defy the Tree's will and to traspass the dome's shield into the Sea of Songs, where Cass was waiting for them.
Cassidy
3.1 Both Acuzio and Hannah are determined to save Ari from the Doom Chainers. They have talked long and have decided to go back to rengus and follow the path to where they might have taken him.
3.2 As Cass reaches them in the river, they tell her that with her help they could be able to save Ari. Cass initially opposes this resolution, but as she looks illumination on Ziartha's wisdom, she finds out that if they are determined to do something the other possible paths which don't go the way they are determined to go, can't be seen by her.
3.3 Since she is completely blind on any other way than that Acuzio and hannah have chosen, Cass decides that saving Ari might be as dangerous as traveling through a continent infested with enemies blindfolded. But if she manages to save Ari, then they would have another asset to accomplish their mission.
3.4 First, the chains of doom should be neutralized. For this, they resolve returning to Rengus and looking for one of the artifacts that rest under it. This decision opens many paths to be followed. Then the recovery of a the lost colour and the grimoire might help them to incline the odds to their favor.
3.5 Having returned to Rengus and found both the artifact and the grimoire and colour. Cass, Acuzio and Hannah, chase the Doom Chainer. As they expected that to happen, they are prepared, and a mighty battle takes place. Finnaly, the White Sea Serpent Spirit gives Hannah the power to overcome the chains of Doom, and the Doom chainers are defeated. Ari is saved, and they continue their journey to Anthar.
Acuzio
Hannah's story arc involves Acuzio directly. A few scenes that could be added to show this would be:
2.2.a Acuzio feels that the link between him and Hannah gets weaker when she protects herself with her power, and he feels that his own power diminishes when she casts.
2.4.a Hannah and Acuzio train away from the tree and find that their magics draw energy from eachother. Casting at the same time causes an exchange of magic that allows them to train further without damaging eachother.
Hannah
Her story is completely intertwined with Acuzio's. The five scenes from Acuzio's problem are shared scenes with her.
Acuzio and Hannah
All the scenes of Cass' problem are shared scenes. Some aditional scenes could be:
3.3.a Acuzio and Hannah talk to Cass about the decition they have made. She understands that they are more free of Fate than most beings, and she believes is because of the exposition to the tree. She sees that this could be chanalized to surprise the Doom Chainers.
Cassidy
The only scene shared would be on Hannah's problem.
2.4.b feeling for the first time that at least one of the two missing heralds of Fate exist, Cass uses her power to channalize dreams to Hannah, which are seen by her and Acuzio and help them find the way out of the dome.
Acuzio and Hannah
1.- Acuzio feels that his magical abilities hurt Hannah - He finds out that the red glow of the rivers makes her feel better.
2.- As Hannah protects herself from danger, the shield she casts, weakens Acuzio - Soon he and her realize that casting at the same time prevents them from being hurt.
3.- He and Hannah start dreaming about the end of the world - They begin investigating about this new phenomenon and ind out about the prophetic dreams.
4.- Soon they discover that the Tree has a will that isolates them from the exterior world, even energetically - They decide to train themselves to be able to overcome that will.
5.- As they gather information about the outer world, Hannah finds about the Sternener - Acuzio get acces to one of the last books of Sternener and Hannah begins learning.
6.- Even after a few months of searching information, they can't find anything about how to get out - Hannah manages to learn the basics of the Sternener and gathers very important information about the tree and the way out of the dome.
7.- They find the place where the exit of the dome is supposed to be, but the Tree's will doesn't let them find the way - Their training lets them isolate themselves from the Tree's will long enough to see the exit and get out.
ii.-After getting separated, Hannah and Acuzio follow Ari towards Rengus, they find a letter from Cass telling them to continue. They trust on her, but the road ahead is more dangerous than other paths. They have to decide whether or not to continue the mission - They go for it.
iii.- Ari and them are ambushed, they fight but the enemy is more powerful - Acuzio and Hannah escape while Ari continues fighting to give them a chance.
Cassidy
1.- The seventh herald has been found, a perion from the mountains of Andarmia. Now it is time to find the remaining 2 heralds, but they seem to not exist at all - Finding wisdmo in Ziartha's words Cass follows a path were she decides to wait for a propper time to search.
2.- She and Ari set sail to their home but as they are traveling, a vision tells them to do different things - They decide to split and so Cass departes alone towards her home.
3.- After a few months of waiting she feels for a brief instant a presence, one of the two missing heralds - She begins transmiting images of the fate that is predicted for the world if the heralds are not found.
4.- After the presence has appeared a few more times, an outline of a path to follow has appeared on Cass mind, however, Ari has not arrived yet and she wants to depart with him - She decides to leave him a letter and begins her journey towards Salgarth.
5.-The first signal happens, and Cass has to choose if follow the path to the eight herald or to follow the signal - She waits for Ari, and tells him about the signal, she then continues her way.
6.- She reaches Navia but doesn't have a boat - An emmisary of her empire appears, sent by advice of one of the elders of her village, and gives her a boat.
7.-She sails towards Salgarth and as she reaches it a new path opens, revealing that an artifact lies on a nearby island, she has to choose a way - She decides to follow her path and asks the elves to send a few men to recover the artifact. She waits for Ari and sails towards the Northen Continent.
ii.-
All of them
8.- When they get out, and meet Cass and Ari Hannah begins to die in the absence of the Tree's magic - Cass gives her a magical ring which can (store magic) protects its user from the elements.
9.- They reach the ports of Salgarth were they are first attacked by the Doom Chainers - The elves and dwarves hide them along with Cass and Ari.
10.- Having left Salgarth with some elven crystals and some new equipment, along with three new companions, the party sails towards the ruins of Navia. In the way, a storm hits the ship - Hannah's defensive abilities help them to get through it long enough to arrive at Zeanor.
11.- Once in Zeanor, they manage to get into a sea caravan, which leaves them in a port near Navia. The imperial guard protects the caravan and if they would find their new companions, they all would be arrested - A trick made by the elven wizard is enough for them to get distracted, and the party escapes.
i.- Cass senses another signal near her home, she has to decide whether or not to continue with the heralds - She chooses to go to the signal.
iv.-They gather once again, but Acuzio and Hannah wish to save Ari, Cass wishes to continue their mission - Cass looks for wisdom and sees that she is blinded on any roads that don't follow the heralds, she decides to help Ari.
Acuzio and Hannah
1.- Acuzio feels that his magical abilities hurt Hannah - He finds out that the red glow of the rivers makes her feel better.
2.- As Hannah protects herself from danger, the shield she casts, weakens Acuzio - Soon he and her realize that casting at the same time prevents them from being hurt.
3.- He and Hannah start dreaming about the end of the world - They begin investigating about this new phenomenon and ind out about the prophetic dreams.
4.- Soon they discover that the Tree has a will that isolates them from the exterior world, even energetically - They decide to train themselves to be able to overcome that will.
5.- As they gather information about the outer world, Hannah finds about the Sternener - Acuzio get acces to one of the last books of Sternener and Hannah begins learning.
6.- Even after a few months of searching information, they can't find anything about how to get out - Hannah manages to learn the basics of the Sternener and gathers very important information about the tree and the way out of the dome.
7.- They find the place where the exit of the dome is supposed to be, but the Tree's will doesn't let them find the way - Their training lets them isolate themselves from the Tree's will long enough to see the exit and get out.
Cassidy
1.- The seventh herald has been found, a perion from the mountains of Andarmia. Now it is time to find the remaining 2 heralds, but they seem to not exist at all - Finding wisdmo in Ziartha's words Cass follows a path were she decides to wait for a propper time to search.
2.- She and Ari set sail to their home but as they are traveling, a vision tells them to do different things - They decide to split and so Cass departes alone towards her home.
3.- After a few months of waiting she feels for a brief instant a presence, one of the two missing heralds - She begins transmiting images of the fate that is predicted for the world if the heralds are not found.
4.- After the presence has appeared a few more times, an outline of a path to follow has appeared on Cass mind, however, Ari has not arrived yet and she wants to depart with him - She decides to leave him a letter and begins her journey towards Salgarth.
5.-The first signal happens, and Cass has to choose if follow the path to the eight herald or to follow the signal - She waits for Ari, and tells him about the signal, she then continues her way.
6.- She reaches Navia but doesn't have a boat - An emmisary of her empire appears, sent by advice of one of the elders of her village, and gives her a boat.
7.-She sails towards Salgarth and as she reaches it a new path opens, revealing that an artifact lies on a nearby island, she has to choose a way - She decides to follow her path and asks the elves to send a few men to recover the artifact. She waits for Ari and sails towards the Northen Continent.
All of them
8.- When they get out, and meet Cass and Ari Hannah begins to die in the absence of the Tree's magic - Cass gives her a magical ring which can (store magic) protects its user from the elements.
9.- They reach the ports of Salgarth were they are first attacked by the Doom Chainers - The elves and dwarves hide them along with Cass and Ari.
10.- Having left Salgarth with some elven crystals and some new equipment, along with three new companions, the party sails towards the ruins of Navia. In the way, a storm hits the ship - Hannah's defensive abilities help them to get through it long enough to arrive at Zeanor.
11.- Once in Zeanor, they manage to get into a sea caravan, which leaves them in a port near Navia. The imperial guard protects the caravan and if they would find their new companions, they all would be arrested - A trick made by the elven wizard is enough for them to get distracted, and the party escapes.
12.- Cass senses another signal near her home, she has to decide whether or not to continue with the heralds - She chooses to go to the signal.
Hannah and Acuzio
13.-After getting separated, Hannah and Acuzio follow Ari towards Rengus, they find a letter from Cass telling them to continue. They trust on her, but the road ahead is more dangerous than other paths. They have to decide whether or not to continue the mission - They go for it.
14.- Ari and them are ambushed, they fight but the enemy is more powerful - Acuzio and Hannah escape while Ari continues fighting to give them a chance.
Cassidy
13.- Cass arrives at her home and discovers that the signal was a trick from the Doom Chainers, but her visions continue to show a signal - She decides to stay a bit longer and a little after a true signal appears.
14.- With the new signal gathered three paths opens: Return and save Ari; Return and Complete the mission; Stay and gather a powerful item that will defeat the Doom Chainers - She decides to return, leaving the other decision for later.
All of them
15.-They gather once again, but Acuzio and Hannah wish to save Ari, Cass wishes to continue their mission - Cass looks for wisdom and sees that she is blinded on any roads that don't follow the heralds, she decides to help Ari.
16.- The power of the enemy is superior - They search for an artifact in Rengus and some lost items they lose on the battle where Ari was captured to level the fight.
17.- The battle was harder than Cass had predicted and Hannah was about to be chained - When the spirit of the Whie Sea Serpent of Rengus helped her defeat the Doom Chainers.
18.- With Ari saved the pary heads to Anthar, there they find that the empire of Talernar is looking for them - They hide in a cargo which sails towards Andarmia.
19.- Once in Andarmia the third signal appears but before they can get to it, another party of Doom Chainers accompained with Drows get to the place - As they are not prepared to fight, the party decides to go find the other heralds, which are hidden in the mountains.
20.- The made it to the tunnels of the biggest gnome city of the old world, where they meet the final heralds. Now when all of them were together a new path opened, but following immediately would mean that many would die - The voted and unanimously the decision made was to follow the path Ziartha showed.
To be continued.... On another novel