How to sway them - a story of demons and...
Hi everyone!
Newbie here, both to scrawlology and NaNo - nice to meet you :)
My plot is still a bit up in the air, but the characters have solidified a lot since I started dabbling with this idea, so I thought I'd give introducing the crazed mass of ideas a try. Feedback much appreciated!
Current synopsis <-- Likely to change a 100 times during November
There are demons in the woods.
Well, at least according to the Imperial Military. Soldiers are sent there every year and only a handful come back, most of them suffering from an unknown disease that takes away their will to live. They just sit and stare and starve. A rare few wake up before death claims them, but they're all quickly taken away, either to the laboratories or the outer camps.
Because of that, there's no one outside of the Emperor's closest allies who can claim to ever have seen a wild demon. The only proof of their existence are the tame bodyguards of the Emperor and his Adviser; obedient like well trained hunting dogs and far deadlier.
It's rumored that Field Marshal Warlow is to thank for the demons' undying loyalty, caused by a spell even beyond the Emperor's magic - rumors that have cost many a drunken farmer a finger or two for blasphemy.
Dylis, lowly soldier that she is, is inclined to believe the official claims; all the hellish training and the failed surgery that took her hearing would've been pointless otherwise.
Her younger brother Glaw is luckier - by no means as good a fighter as she, but unique all the same. Of eight chosen, his surgery was the only one to succeed. And unless Dylis can think of a way to switch their places, he's leaving for the woods in the morning.
Alone.
Setting
Like the plot, this is still an on-going project. The humans live in a small, nameless country, consisting of eight cities of varying sizes and ruled by an immortal Emperor. Outside their boarders - which they constantly move outward into the wilderness - there's the ocean, the seemingly endless plains and, of course, the woods. No neighboring lands; no human ones at least.
The country is young, as countries go. The Emperor lead the ancestors of the major population over from the other side of the sea a good two centuries ago and the rest have come over on their own, seeking fortune or refuge.
Their level of technology isn't quite industrial revolution yet, though they're far from medieval. Travel is done mostly by ship or horse-drawn carts and carriages, but more mechanical transports are available to those with money. Guns and rifles are clumsy things, and most lowly soldiers use swords or even bows, because they're cheaper and less likely to malfunction.
The military make up a surprisingly large chunk of the population, seeing as they've never been at war and all revolutions have been small and easily thwarted. But they do serve a purpose - not only do they enforce the law and arrest criminals, they're also the Emperor's hand. Lead by Field Marshal Warlow, the military oversees all expansions of the cities, as well as makes continuous attempts to search the woods for demons. The actual motive behind that last task is a bit on the vague side, but no one questions the Emperor and lives.
Religion is a touchy subject here. Most people worship the god(s) their ancestors had back in the old country with the state's full support, but no one goes without the sign of the Emperor's protection - a spiral seashell, usually worn as a necklace - and few dare put their own beliefs above the will of the Emperor. Those who do...well, they're usually not around for long.
Characters
And this is where we move into spoiler territory! I'll try to keep it as free from major plot points as possible, therefore several characters are not presented on this short list.
Main characters
Dylis Nevett
22 years old, average height, gray eyes, gray-ish-brown hair cut short. Older sister of Glaw. What people usually first notice about her are two things: she's completely deaf and she's got some quite impressive, though old, scars trailing from behind her ears and down her throat, to her shoulders. She's a good fighter, having lost her hearing at an early age (8) and thus having had plenty of time to learn ways to work around that loss. She's fairly social, though keeps to a small group of friends, since she has trouble communicating anything too complex with people who don't know sign language or who can't read. She's also got a bit of a temper and is overly suspicious of others.
Glaw Nevett
19 years old, average height, gray eyes, dirt-brown hair cut short (though he lets it grow during the story). Younger brother of Dylis. Has the same kind of scars as his sister, though he can hear perfectly well. Can hold his own in a fight, but no impressive warrior. A bit too open and tactless, though many of his fellow soldiers see him as a harmless, fairly clumsy amusement and will laugh with him rather than at him when he unwittingly insults someone.
Others
Field Marshal Cadfael Warlow
A handsome gentleman of unknown age, though appears to be somewhere in-between 25-30. However, he's been around as long as the country has. Some say he's older than the Emperor, but some people will say anything with enough alcohol in their blood. Has dark blond hair and brown eyes. Deadly with any weapon and prone to mood-swings; not a great combination. However, most people fear him for his political power, rather than his skills with a sword. Second only to the Emperor, Warlow can have anyone beheaded, imprisoned or banished - a privilege he uses surprisingly seldom, given his personality. Spends most of his time outside of court and seems to be most at home in the field, even though he prefers fine clothes to armour. Always wears a necklace with a huge, overly decorated spiral seashell.
Emperor Ithel Gravenor
Looks to be in his 40s, but has been around since long before the country was founded. His features are quite squar and angular, with a well kept beard and short brown hair with speaks of grey in it. His eyes are dark brown, approaching black. Being an Emperor he dresses to the nines, almost gaudily - the only consistent part of his outfits is a necklace decorated with several spiral seashells. He's always shadowed by two demons (or what he claims are demons - they're always dressed in some form of masks and very concealing clothes).
Adviser Seren Kinsey
Rarely one to spend time outside of the palace this middle aged woman is usually seen wearing far too much jewelry and a knowing smile. One of the original founders of the country. Accompanied everywhere by a demon, equally heavily disguised as the Emperor's bodyguards.
And that's it so far...kinda.
There's a ton of other important people (and who're actually more fleshed out than these guys...) as well as world-details, but they're definitely spoilers - though I'd like feedback on them too, so if people don't mind I'll post a bit about them later.
Well, that's it so far. Any thoughts?
And of course, I'm looking forward to see what others here are working on too! (Though I'll be without Internet every Monday-Tuesday, just as a heads up, so my replies and feedback can be sporadically slow).
Newbie here, both to scrawlology and NaNo - nice to meet you :)
My plot is still a bit up in the air, but the characters have solidified a lot since I started dabbling with this idea, so I thought I'd give introducing the crazed mass of ideas a try. Feedback much appreciated!
Current synopsis <-- Likely to change a 100 times during November
There are demons in the woods.
Well, at least according to the Imperial Military. Soldiers are sent there every year and only a handful come back, most of them suffering from an unknown disease that takes away their will to live. They just sit and stare and starve. A rare few wake up before death claims them, but they're all quickly taken away, either to the laboratories or the outer camps.
Because of that, there's no one outside of the Emperor's closest allies who can claim to ever have seen a wild demon. The only proof of their existence are the tame bodyguards of the Emperor and his Adviser; obedient like well trained hunting dogs and far deadlier.
It's rumored that Field Marshal Warlow is to thank for the demons' undying loyalty, caused by a spell even beyond the Emperor's magic - rumors that have cost many a drunken farmer a finger or two for blasphemy.
Dylis, lowly soldier that she is, is inclined to believe the official claims; all the hellish training and the failed surgery that took her hearing would've been pointless otherwise.
Her younger brother Glaw is luckier - by no means as good a fighter as she, but unique all the same. Of eight chosen, his surgery was the only one to succeed. And unless Dylis can think of a way to switch their places, he's leaving for the woods in the morning.
Alone.
Setting
Like the plot, this is still an on-going project. The humans live in a small, nameless country, consisting of eight cities of varying sizes and ruled by an immortal Emperor. Outside their boarders - which they constantly move outward into the wilderness - there's the ocean, the seemingly endless plains and, of course, the woods. No neighboring lands; no human ones at least.
The country is young, as countries go. The Emperor lead the ancestors of the major population over from the other side of the sea a good two centuries ago and the rest have come over on their own, seeking fortune or refuge.
Their level of technology isn't quite industrial revolution yet, though they're far from medieval. Travel is done mostly by ship or horse-drawn carts and carriages, but more mechanical transports are available to those with money. Guns and rifles are clumsy things, and most lowly soldiers use swords or even bows, because they're cheaper and less likely to malfunction.
The military make up a surprisingly large chunk of the population, seeing as they've never been at war and all revolutions have been small and easily thwarted. But they do serve a purpose - not only do they enforce the law and arrest criminals, they're also the Emperor's hand. Lead by Field Marshal Warlow, the military oversees all expansions of the cities, as well as makes continuous attempts to search the woods for demons. The actual motive behind that last task is a bit on the vague side, but no one questions the Emperor and lives.
Religion is a touchy subject here. Most people worship the god(s) their ancestors had back in the old country with the state's full support, but no one goes without the sign of the Emperor's protection - a spiral seashell, usually worn as a necklace - and few dare put their own beliefs above the will of the Emperor. Those who do...well, they're usually not around for long.
Characters
And this is where we move into spoiler territory! I'll try to keep it as free from major plot points as possible, therefore several characters are not presented on this short list.
Main characters
Dylis Nevett
22 years old, average height, gray eyes, gray-ish-brown hair cut short. Older sister of Glaw. What people usually first notice about her are two things: she's completely deaf and she's got some quite impressive, though old, scars trailing from behind her ears and down her throat, to her shoulders. She's a good fighter, having lost her hearing at an early age (8) and thus having had plenty of time to learn ways to work around that loss. She's fairly social, though keeps to a small group of friends, since she has trouble communicating anything too complex with people who don't know sign language or who can't read. She's also got a bit of a temper and is overly suspicious of others.
Glaw Nevett
19 years old, average height, gray eyes, dirt-brown hair cut short (though he lets it grow during the story). Younger brother of Dylis. Has the same kind of scars as his sister, though he can hear perfectly well. Can hold his own in a fight, but no impressive warrior. A bit too open and tactless, though many of his fellow soldiers see him as a harmless, fairly clumsy amusement and will laugh with him rather than at him when he unwittingly insults someone.
Others
Field Marshal Cadfael Warlow
A handsome gentleman of unknown age, though appears to be somewhere in-between 25-30. However, he's been around as long as the country has. Some say he's older than the Emperor, but some people will say anything with enough alcohol in their blood. Has dark blond hair and brown eyes. Deadly with any weapon and prone to mood-swings; not a great combination. However, most people fear him for his political power, rather than his skills with a sword. Second only to the Emperor, Warlow can have anyone beheaded, imprisoned or banished - a privilege he uses surprisingly seldom, given his personality. Spends most of his time outside of court and seems to be most at home in the field, even though he prefers fine clothes to armour. Always wears a necklace with a huge, overly decorated spiral seashell.
Emperor Ithel Gravenor
Looks to be in his 40s, but has been around since long before the country was founded. His features are quite squar and angular, with a well kept beard and short brown hair with speaks of grey in it. His eyes are dark brown, approaching black. Being an Emperor he dresses to the nines, almost gaudily - the only consistent part of his outfits is a necklace decorated with several spiral seashells. He's always shadowed by two demons (or what he claims are demons - they're always dressed in some form of masks and very concealing clothes).
Adviser Seren Kinsey
Rarely one to spend time outside of the palace this middle aged woman is usually seen wearing far too much jewelry and a knowing smile. One of the original founders of the country. Accompanied everywhere by a demon, equally heavily disguised as the Emperor's bodyguards.
And that's it so far...kinda.
There's a ton of other important people (and who're actually more fleshed out than these guys...) as well as world-details, but they're definitely spoilers - though I'd like feedback on them too, so if people don't mind I'll post a bit about them later.
Well, that's it so far. Any thoughts?
And of course, I'm looking forward to see what others here are working on too! (Though I'll be without Internet every Monday-Tuesday, just as a heads up, so my replies and feedback can be sporadically slow).