Coronation Ceremony 2017
First: Thank you for writing for me. I will be excited to receive your fanwork, whatever it will be about!
I realize I’ve put a lot of specificity into my prompts, but I’ve tried to provide a range of possibilities for each. If you ultimately do not feel inspired by any of them, optional details are of course optional.My requests
Fic Only
Relationship: Thara Celehar/Aina Shulivar
Deeply spiritual, loyal, determined, and emotionally vulnerable celibate cleric meets brilliant, psychopathic revolutionary with a Rasputin-like charm. Sure, in canon they met only once, and Thara saw right through Shulivar, whose zeal blinded him to everything but his vision. But suppose Shulivar became a leader of the Curneisei because he was able to pick up on little things … such as something being not quite right with this new zhornu who just sat there quietly and listened.
Maybe Thara found him hot if disturbing, which he obviously would not have written to Maia about. Maybe Shulivar picked up on that… or maybe he found Thara attractive without caring whether it was reciprocal. Would he have propositioned Thara, who is oh, so lonely and needs a little loving? Or, perhaps, under the guise of confiding even greater secrets in Thara, would Shulivar have led him to one of the Stone Tree’s smallest inner rooms, one that was set aside for trysts, and proceeded to noncon/dubcon him? (Note that Thara is on the short side and slight of build, while Shulivar is tall; and Shulivar has been doing “blue-collar” work for much longer than Thara has, so we can assume more physical strength on his part.) Would he have threatened Thara with further public shame, physical danger, or danger to those he serves in order to keep him quiet?
If it’s noncon or dubcon, how does this further fuck Thara up? If it’s dubcon or consensual, does Thara stay in Amalo and keep coming back to Shulivar for more of that sweet, sweet extremist dick, while lying to himself that he’s staying because he’s trying to get more answers and being obscure about this in his letters? (And, if you feel ambitious, how does that affect the greater political scheme of things and the timeline of revelations?)Relationship: Hanevis Athmaza/Orava the Usurper
This prompt intrigues us, as we’d kind of assumed Hanevis/Beltanthiar but never considered that the two dachenmazei might be lovers turned enemies. Did Orava turn evil, or did he disguise his evil nature from Hanevis all along? Did they study beside one another as boys in the Mazan’theileian? Or had one of them taught the other-and had their romantic/sexual relationship been an unethical teacher/student one (with either of them as the elder), or did it not happen until both were adults?
Did Orava know weaknesses about Hanevis that only a lover would know, and use them against him in their battle? Was Hanevis consumed with the rage and pain of personal betrayal, or did he fight Orava with a sad resignation? Was their relationship known about, either at the time or later? Was the Ethuveraz more homophobic, or less so, in their day (because these things do go back and forth)? How were their bodies disposed of?Worldbuilding: The Vigilant Brothers
Presumably they are a monastic order of police, but we know very little about them, other than that their leader is called a preceptor, and that they have chapters in larger cities and, more generally, in regions of the five principalities (e.g., “the Vigilant Chapters of both northern and southern Thu-Cethor”). They worked with Thara Celehar in Amalo to bring the Curneisei to justice. We’re also told that their preceptors “glared and stalked around each other like rival tomcats,” leading Maia to wonder if they should be investigated.
Possible themes: What were their origins? What oaths do they take? What sort of corruption might go on at their higher levels? What sorts of territorial rivalries exist? What’s their relationship with the military?Worldbuilding: Nohecharei
What are the origins of imperial nohecharei? They’re not simply bodyguards, because most bodyguards do not take an oath to die along with, or just after, the person they protect. And most bodyguards have days off. Did the practice of appointing nohecharei arise out of a religious cult, ceremony, or point of dogma? Is that cult, ceremony, or dogma still in practice, or is it long forgotten? Or was the role inspired by a pair of loyal guardians in a wonder-tale? Is the origin of the role well known, or is it something obscure that nohecharei learn in their training and are sworn to secrecy on?
We know that -charis means “servant” (as in edocharis, [male] body servant) but what does nohe- mean? How do the soldiers and the mazei learn to complement one another’s strengths? What words do they recite when they take their oath? Do they swear to Ulis, the god of death, and/or Anmura, the god of war?Fic or Art
Character: Lisethu Pevennin
For fic, tell us about Dach’osmin Pevennin, executed 500 years before Maia’s time for leading the last rebellion against the crown. What was her father’s title, what was House Pevennada like, and where were their lands? Why did she rebel against Edrethelema V? She never married; was she more interested in being a warrior than in being a wife? Or did she have a lover of whatever gender she wished to marry but could not? Was Edrethelema trying to force her to marry someone, perhaps him himself? Was she unwed because the Pevennada had somehow been reduced to poverty by Edrethelema or earlier Drazhada, leaving her without a dowry and no way to earn money, and she wished to exact revenge? Did she choose a swan for her signet because of the swan’s beauty, its ferocity, or both? Was she an adherent of the god Chevarimai, rebelling against the suppression of his cult? How was she executed, and what was done with her corpse (head on a pike, for instance)?
Dachensol Habrobar knew her personally. Feel free to include him in the story if you wish (either ship or gen is fine here). He was much younger then, although it’s unclear how old he was at the time. Was he more naïve, and did her execution affect him greatly and perhaps change his views on things? Feel free to work in some of his backstory, including a given name, although the focus should remain on Lisethu.
Note that the building of the current Untheileneise Court was going on during Edrethelema V’s reign. His grandfather had designed it; his father, he himself, and his son were the builders during their respective reigns. In case you find that angle interesting.
For art, we would appreciate something showing her with a sword, whether she’s using it or simply posing with it, and an expression that communicates her determination. Armor or other battle garb, rather than a gown, is preferred.Character: Holitho Sevraseched
All we know of this illegitimate daughter of the Great Avar is that she is a votary (a nun, essentially) in the Convent of the Lighthouse Keepers in Urvekh’. Is this convent devoted to Ashevezhko, the Barizheise goddess of the sea? What are their rituals? What sorts of robes do they wear? Do they wear masks as well? What is Holitho’s backstory? How does she view the goddess (or god) she worships? What are her duties at the convent? Are they celibate votaries? Whether they are or not, are there romantic/sexual relationships going on amongst them, or do any of them slip out sometimes for a tryst? Does Holitho have a lover? What is her relationship with her half-sisters, whether one of them or all of them? What is her relationship with her father? Is her mother still alive? What does Holitho think about her nephew ruling the Ethuveraz?
For art, something related to lighthouses and the sea, with Holitho appearing in it, would be lovely.Worldbuilding: The Lion of Orpezhkhahar
“One of [Vedero’s] friends was translating the Barizheise poet Amu Carcethlened, who had written fabulous adventure tales about the voyages of the steamship Lion of Orpezhkhahar.” Tell us one of those adventure tales, or draw us a scene from it!
Or, perhaps, tell us about Carcethlened writing those tales, and/or the public’s reaction to them. Did he have a bigger audience in his homeland of Barizhan, or among elves who wanted to read about “exotic” foreign places? What sorts of accolades did he enjoy during his lifetime? What about his personal life? We are partial to but not insistent upon marnis!Carcethlened. If you prefer to draw rather than write, we suggest artwork of him with quill and paper (or parchment) to hand, with some of his imaginings in the background.Worldbuilding: The Chadevan Charade
DachOsmin’s meta “Periwinkle, Daffodil” mentions a yellow-backed novel titled The Chadevan Charade: Being the Account of an Orphan’s Daring Adventures on the High Seas, which
tells the story of a poor yet plucky orphan from the streets of Cetho that manages to commandeer a ship and takes to the high seas. But the vessel is no traditional ship, but instead a state-of-the-art airship named the Iron Griffin that lends the tale a uniquely futuristic feel. And furthermore our hero is not the standard street boy, but instead a delightfully scrappy half-goblin girl named Csobenu, who is well versed in lock picking, fisticuffs, and all manner of other skills that girls in these tales are rarely allowed to try their hands at. She is joined by a motley crew of misfits and malcontents, including Captain Valitka, a disgraced Barizheise knight; Ksedrigau-Nine-Claw, a lion-girl warrior with a pyromaniac streak; and Mer Onatheva, a dachenmaza of considerable power who is unfortunately afraid of heights. Together Csobenu and her crew pilot the Iron Griffin across the Chadevan Sea in search of a variety of fabulous treasures, though of course the real treasure is the friendships they make along the way.
The characters are certainly the crown jewel of the novel but aficionados of action and romance will be satisfied as well. There are several delightful duels, one of which takes place fully underwater, the physics of which is not fully explained. There is also, is no particular order, a bank heist, three airship races, a parachuting contest, and an inter-ship battle conducted using only Soluneise fireworks.
As for romance, Min Csobenu finds herself romanced by both her first mate and her maza, and in a refreshing break from the traditional love triangle, decides she is satisfied with both of them. In terms of physical affection, the story is rather tame, although repeated references to a greater Barizheise armfish living in Captain Valitka’s washbasin may raise the eyebrows of veteran readers.
We realize this is a bit of an unorthodox request, as it is not canon. However, if you felt moved to write or draw something based on this, we would eat it up with a spoon. Gen is preferred for this one, as we’d be interested mainly in an exploration of one or more of the characters, their group dynamic, their backstory or backstories, and/or how they came to be on the Iron Griffin. Or a depiction of one of the underwater duels, and how both parties avoided drowning (unless they were both octopodes or the like). Or something about the care and feeding of the armfish.General Preferences
What I would like or be fine with for this exchange
I realize I’ve put a lot of specificity into my prompts, but I’ve tried to provide a range of possibilities for each. If you ultimately do not feel inspired by any of them, optional details are of course optional.My requests
Fic Only
Relationship: Thara Celehar/Aina Shulivar
Deeply spiritual, loyal, determined, and emotionally vulnerable celibate cleric meets brilliant, psychopathic revolutionary with a Rasputin-like charm. Sure, in canon they met only once, and Thara saw right through Shulivar, whose zeal blinded him to everything but his vision. But suppose Shulivar became a leader of the Curneisei because he was able to pick up on little things … such as something being not quite right with this new zhornu who just sat there quietly and listened.
Maybe Thara found him hot if disturbing, which he obviously would not have written to Maia about. Maybe Shulivar picked up on that… or maybe he found Thara attractive without caring whether it was reciprocal. Would he have propositioned Thara, who is oh, so lonely and needs a little loving? Or, perhaps, under the guise of confiding even greater secrets in Thara, would Shulivar have led him to one of the Stone Tree’s smallest inner rooms, one that was set aside for trysts, and proceeded to noncon/dubcon him? (Note that Thara is on the short side and slight of build, while Shulivar is tall; and Shulivar has been doing “blue-collar” work for much longer than Thara has, so we can assume more physical strength on his part.) Would he have threatened Thara with further public shame, physical danger, or danger to those he serves in order to keep him quiet?
If it’s noncon or dubcon, how does this further fuck Thara up? If it’s dubcon or consensual, does Thara stay in Amalo and keep coming back to Shulivar for more of that sweet, sweet extremist dick, while lying to himself that he’s staying because he’s trying to get more answers and being obscure about this in his letters? (And, if you feel ambitious, how does that affect the greater political scheme of things and the timeline of revelations?)Relationship: Hanevis Athmaza/Orava the Usurper
This prompt intrigues us, as we’d kind of assumed Hanevis/Beltanthiar but never considered that the two dachenmazei might be lovers turned enemies. Did Orava turn evil, or did he disguise his evil nature from Hanevis all along? Did they study beside one another as boys in the Mazan’theileian? Or had one of them taught the other-and had their romantic/sexual relationship been an unethical teacher/student one (with either of them as the elder), or did it not happen until both were adults?
Did Orava know weaknesses about Hanevis that only a lover would know, and use them against him in their battle? Was Hanevis consumed with the rage and pain of personal betrayal, or did he fight Orava with a sad resignation? Was their relationship known about, either at the time or later? Was the Ethuveraz more homophobic, or less so, in their day (because these things do go back and forth)? How were their bodies disposed of?Worldbuilding: The Vigilant Brothers
Presumably they are a monastic order of police, but we know very little about them, other than that their leader is called a preceptor, and that they have chapters in larger cities and, more generally, in regions of the five principalities (e.g., “the Vigilant Chapters of both northern and southern Thu-Cethor”). They worked with Thara Celehar in Amalo to bring the Curneisei to justice. We’re also told that their preceptors “glared and stalked around each other like rival tomcats,” leading Maia to wonder if they should be investigated.
Possible themes: What were their origins? What oaths do they take? What sort of corruption might go on at their higher levels? What sorts of territorial rivalries exist? What’s their relationship with the military?Worldbuilding: Nohecharei
What are the origins of imperial nohecharei? They’re not simply bodyguards, because most bodyguards do not take an oath to die along with, or just after, the person they protect. And most bodyguards have days off. Did the practice of appointing nohecharei arise out of a religious cult, ceremony, or point of dogma? Is that cult, ceremony, or dogma still in practice, or is it long forgotten? Or was the role inspired by a pair of loyal guardians in a wonder-tale? Is the origin of the role well known, or is it something obscure that nohecharei learn in their training and are sworn to secrecy on?
We know that -charis means “servant” (as in edocharis, [male] body servant) but what does nohe- mean? How do the soldiers and the mazei learn to complement one another’s strengths? What words do they recite when they take their oath? Do they swear to Ulis, the god of death, and/or Anmura, the god of war?Fic or Art
Character: Lisethu Pevennin
For fic, tell us about Dach’osmin Pevennin, executed 500 years before Maia’s time for leading the last rebellion against the crown. What was her father’s title, what was House Pevennada like, and where were their lands? Why did she rebel against Edrethelema V? She never married; was she more interested in being a warrior than in being a wife? Or did she have a lover of whatever gender she wished to marry but could not? Was Edrethelema trying to force her to marry someone, perhaps him himself? Was she unwed because the Pevennada had somehow been reduced to poverty by Edrethelema or earlier Drazhada, leaving her without a dowry and no way to earn money, and she wished to exact revenge? Did she choose a swan for her signet because of the swan’s beauty, its ferocity, or both? Was she an adherent of the god Chevarimai, rebelling against the suppression of his cult? How was she executed, and what was done with her corpse (head on a pike, for instance)?
Dachensol Habrobar knew her personally. Feel free to include him in the story if you wish (either ship or gen is fine here). He was much younger then, although it’s unclear how old he was at the time. Was he more naïve, and did her execution affect him greatly and perhaps change his views on things? Feel free to work in some of his backstory, including a given name, although the focus should remain on Lisethu.
Note that the building of the current Untheileneise Court was going on during Edrethelema V’s reign. His grandfather had designed it; his father, he himself, and his son were the builders during their respective reigns. In case you find that angle interesting.
For art, we would appreciate something showing her with a sword, whether she’s using it or simply posing with it, and an expression that communicates her determination. Armor or other battle garb, rather than a gown, is preferred.Character: Holitho Sevraseched
All we know of this illegitimate daughter of the Great Avar is that she is a votary (a nun, essentially) in the Convent of the Lighthouse Keepers in Urvekh’. Is this convent devoted to Ashevezhko, the Barizheise goddess of the sea? What are their rituals? What sorts of robes do they wear? Do they wear masks as well? What is Holitho’s backstory? How does she view the goddess (or god) she worships? What are her duties at the convent? Are they celibate votaries? Whether they are or not, are there romantic/sexual relationships going on amongst them, or do any of them slip out sometimes for a tryst? Does Holitho have a lover? What is her relationship with her half-sisters, whether one of them or all of them? What is her relationship with her father? Is her mother still alive? What does Holitho think about her nephew ruling the Ethuveraz?
For art, something related to lighthouses and the sea, with Holitho appearing in it, would be lovely.Worldbuilding: The Lion of Orpezhkhahar
“One of [Vedero’s] friends was translating the Barizheise poet Amu Carcethlened, who had written fabulous adventure tales about the voyages of the steamship Lion of Orpezhkhahar.” Tell us one of those adventure tales, or draw us a scene from it!
Or, perhaps, tell us about Carcethlened writing those tales, and/or the public’s reaction to them. Did he have a bigger audience in his homeland of Barizhan, or among elves who wanted to read about “exotic” foreign places? What sorts of accolades did he enjoy during his lifetime? What about his personal life? We are partial to but not insistent upon marnis!Carcethlened. If you prefer to draw rather than write, we suggest artwork of him with quill and paper (or parchment) to hand, with some of his imaginings in the background.Worldbuilding: The Chadevan Charade
DachOsmin’s meta “Periwinkle, Daffodil” mentions a yellow-backed novel titled The Chadevan Charade: Being the Account of an Orphan’s Daring Adventures on the High Seas, which
tells the story of a poor yet plucky orphan from the streets of Cetho that manages to commandeer a ship and takes to the high seas. But the vessel is no traditional ship, but instead a state-of-the-art airship named the Iron Griffin that lends the tale a uniquely futuristic feel. And furthermore our hero is not the standard street boy, but instead a delightfully scrappy half-goblin girl named Csobenu, who is well versed in lock picking, fisticuffs, and all manner of other skills that girls in these tales are rarely allowed to try their hands at. She is joined by a motley crew of misfits and malcontents, including Captain Valitka, a disgraced Barizheise knight; Ksedrigau-Nine-Claw, a lion-girl warrior with a pyromaniac streak; and Mer Onatheva, a dachenmaza of considerable power who is unfortunately afraid of heights. Together Csobenu and her crew pilot the Iron Griffin across the Chadevan Sea in search of a variety of fabulous treasures, though of course the real treasure is the friendships they make along the way.
The characters are certainly the crown jewel of the novel but aficionados of action and romance will be satisfied as well. There are several delightful duels, one of which takes place fully underwater, the physics of which is not fully explained. There is also, is no particular order, a bank heist, three airship races, a parachuting contest, and an inter-ship battle conducted using only Soluneise fireworks.
As for romance, Min Csobenu finds herself romanced by both her first mate and her maza, and in a refreshing break from the traditional love triangle, decides she is satisfied with both of them. In terms of physical affection, the story is rather tame, although repeated references to a greater Barizheise armfish living in Captain Valitka’s washbasin may raise the eyebrows of veteran readers.
We realize this is a bit of an unorthodox request, as it is not canon. However, if you felt moved to write or draw something based on this, we would eat it up with a spoon. Gen is preferred for this one, as we’d be interested mainly in an exploration of one or more of the characters, their group dynamic, their backstory or backstories, and/or how they came to be on the Iron Griffin. Or a depiction of one of the underwater duels, and how both parties avoided drowning (unless they were both octopodes or the like). Or something about the care and feeding of the armfish.General Preferences
What I would like or be fine with for this exchange
- Explicit sex in the relationship prompts.
- As stated above, we would like gen for The Chadevan Charade but the rest of the worldbuilding prompts can be either ship or gen. However, I’d like the primary focus not to be on any ships but on the worldbuilding itself (or on the character of Carcethlened).
- Rich descriptions. It’s fine if the language gets a little purple, especially in sex scenes, or in descriptions of nature, architecture, fashion, interior design, etc.
- Intricate plottiness, character studies, the machinery of politics, and political intrigue.
- “Competence porn” - not in a Mary Sue-ish way (e.g., Ayla in the Clan of the Cave Bear books), but in a natural and realistic kind of way. See Csevet in canon for an example.
- Minor or noncanonical character death.
- Deaths of major canon characters who do not die in canon.
- Slut-shaming by the narrative.
- Character bashing.
- Crossovers/fusions: Not for this exchange.
- Kidfic or pregnancy fic: Ditto.
- A/B/O: Ditto.
- Genderbending: Ditto.
- BDSM: Ditto.
- Tentacles: You’re welcome to write about or draw the armfish on the Iron Griffin but we’re not seeking tentacle smut for this exchange.
- Stuffing/feederism or bodily expansion.
- Bestiality or xenophilia.
- Watersports, scat, or vomit play.
- Infantilism or daddy kink.
- Incest.
- Shota/loli (no objection if everyone is post-pubescent).
- Drama/angst. It should be age- and situation-appropriate. Depression, existential angst, and (some degree of) manpain are all fine, but an adult acting like an emo teenager, especially when that character never would… not so much.
- Darkfic. I’d expect Lisethu Pevennin, Thara Celehar/Aina Shulivar, or Hanevis/Orava to be at least somewhat dark, and noncon or elements thereof are okay in any of those three (for Lisethu/Edrelethema, not for Lisethu/Habrobar). I’m not seeking darkfic for Holitho, The Lion of Orpezhkhahar, or The Chadevan Charade. For other worldbuilding prompts, some darkness is okay, but it shouldn’t be the focus.
- Whump and injury. I don’t want lovingly described torture porn. Floggings are about as far as I’d like deliberately inflicted whump to go, and even then I don't want the character whipped to death or nearly to death, or held captive for long periods of time, or “broken” mentally. Allusions to offscreen war experiences are fine. Whump such as illness, non-deliberate injury, or mental anguish is fine.
- Discussion of social issues. I do like fic that addresses them in a way that feels natural. But I can't read fic that gets up on a soapbox, especially if it’s using words and concepts that do not exist in canon (e.g., nobody in TGE would ever say “heteronormative”). I do not want canonical characters given disabilities, non-cisgender identities, or asexual orientations. With an OC, I don’t mind as much, but it should not be the focus of the story, just a background detail.
- Witty banter. In general, I like it to sound natural, like it stems from the characters’ personalities. I’m not so much fond of the Joss Whedon/modern-sitcom kind. If it feels like it might be too clever for its own good, it probably is.