WIP Moodboard, Realms Of Loss - Sarythea

WIP Moodboard, Realms of Loss - Sarythea

This wonderful mood board was made by @crowandmoonwriting for my WIP!

Sarythea, the Kingdom of Starlight, a gilded land on the heart of the continent, home of the Chosen Prince, Archyvel, and a glorious glimpse into what the continent once was

Thank you so much for the mention, @rickie-the-storyteller!

Wow, this has been one heck of a good ride - from ever since I started out this blog at the beginning of this year, to today - and I can't wait to see where it leads me next! I have met many wonderful people here, finding a writeblr community that welcomed and supported my crazy ideas and WIPs since day one, and made many new online friends!

I want to thank every single one of you, and the 103 followers I gained so far - a number I would've thought impossible a few months ago when I first started out.

Here goes my shout-out to my amazing Online Friends -

@lassiesandiego, @clairelsonao3, @hrmkingizzy, @unstablewifiaccess, @rickie-the-storyteller, @jay-avian, @your-absent-father, @crowandmoonwriting, @writernopal, @elshells, @moonluringfrost, @the-mindless, @tabswrites, @oh-no-another-idea, @sm-writes-chaos, @exquisitecrow, @meerawrites, @doublegoblin, @gummybugg, @aziz-reads, @jasperygrace, @sam-glade, @anoelleart, @liv-is, @junypr-camus, @lola-theshowgrl, @steh-lar-uh-nuhs, @moondust-bard, @quisyop, @aalinaaaaaa, @forthesanityofstorytellers, @trancetales, @autumnalwalker, @stesierra, @lyutenw, @late-to-the-fandom, @pluttskutt, @macabremoons, @dancinginsepia, @cabbojage, @chauceryfairytales and all the others that supported me on the start of this journey here!

2023 is coming to an end so this is my annual I love my online friends so fucking much you wouldn't believe me if I told you post.

Heads Up Seven Up

I was tagged by @oh-no-another-idea, here! Thank you so much for the tag!

This one is a slightly smaller snippet from a Rewrite of a climactic confrontation that takes place in Act 2 of my WIP Tales of Wilted Flowers.

“So you kept it a secret.” Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest, brows furrowed as she scrambled after Xarian, who had stormed off anxiously into the woods.  Xarian doesn’t look over his shoulders, which tensed up as he walked faster, hands fidgeting his sides. His usually soft voice was now bitter and sharp as he answered with a quick, “Yes. I didn’t think it would matter.”

Tagging - @the-mindless, @writernopal, @crowandmoonwriting, @meerawrites, @unstablewifiaccess, @sm-writes-chaos, @steh-lar-uh-nuhs, @aziz-reads @sam-glade and @rickie-the-storyteller

Seven Snippets Seven People

I'm catching up with my tags this week after toiling on the first chapters of Enchanted Illusions and Realms of Loss. I was Tagged by @tabswrites, here! Thank you so much!

(These snippets are from the WIP Realms of Loss)

One -

“Do you think the starlight can see us?”

The prince whispered, almost to himself, and Nesrynna frowned, confused at the strange question as she settled down beside him on the hard rock ground, nursing her injured hand. Behind them, the others kept themselves busy setting up camp for the night. “Whatever do you mean?”

TWO -

Her twin blades shimmered in the faint starlight, and Sara traced the edge with the tip of her finger, thinking, her mentor's words echoing in the back of her mind. 'We cannot change what were born as. But we can use it to our advantage.'

She glanced at her reflection on the frosted river, ghostly white hair flowing like an omen in the wind, so much like her mother's. Long ago, Sara had decided, clinging desperately to the hope carried by those words - maybe a monster could save lives, if it turned its fangs towards worse evils.

Three -

Adaria inched forward, leather boots soundlessly sifting through the snow as she stalked, in her hands, her bow and arrow were poised to strike. Moving behind a tree, she waited for the telltale signs of the approaching caravan. The sounds of iron wheels scraping against the frozen forest floor snapped her attention, and as it barrelled into view, her arrow flew, perfectly aimed.

Four-

"Listen, fancy pants."

Gwain growled, marching up to Oryon with such confident anger the wizard stumbled away. The young man grasped the collar of the other's gilded robes, almost lifting Oryon up from the ground.

"I had to do what it took to survive, it’s not a matter of choice. Ever know what starving feels like? No, you don't. I had to use what few broken tools I still had at my disposal, and pray I could make them work - and maybe, just maybe, my siblings and I would survive the Lost Lands' winter. Not everyone has a silver spoon stuck that far up their backside like you do. So don't you dare,"

His eyes burned with such fury Oryon could've sworn Gwain was a Caster like him. The wizard squirmed, regretting making his previous comment already as Gwain continued, staring him down so closely their noses almost touched.

"Don't you dare act like I've ever asked for what I had to do. You wouldn't understand. And if I ever catch you digging around my thoughts uninvited again, my daggers won't be so polite."

Five -

The cold winter chill whipped through his ears, snowflakes clinging to Viktoras’ long onyx hair and wet clothes, as his horse raced through grey road. It had been a long journey from the barracks on the edge of their kingdom, and with the cold seeping from his clothes and into his bones, the young man prayed there wouldn’t be any surprises on the way home. 

Beside him, his elder cousin, Prince Hael, led a few of their trusted soldiers, who followed them close behind. The unmistakable clinking of armor echoed through the blizzard, along with the rhythmic hoofbeats of their warhorses. It was a sound he’d grown to know all too well - so much so it was almost soothing, were it not for the blood staining his cousin’s sword. 

Six -

He stood at the crossroads between blind duty and doing the right thing. On the one hand, he could become a praised knight, like his adoptive father before him, but it would mean ignoring the lies told to him by the Crown. On the other, the chance to do the right thing and fight for the people he swore to protect - and help a thief commit treason against their ruler.

Kassien knew the choice should've been obvious when it came to traitors, that his Oath to the Queen should reign absolute over any other option. But as his white-knuckled grip on the blade loosened and he moved its tip away from the thief's throat, he found that he might not know himself that well after all.

Seven -

Lucian peeked into the dungeons, the smell of rust and dried-out blood burning into his nostrils and memory.

Father might as well cut off his head if he caught Lucian prowling around here, but as the young man sneaked past the guards, heart thundering in his chest and sweaty hands shaking, he forced himself to ignore all of that. He'd heard the rumors about the outsider locked away behind iron and steel, and they felt all too familiar. They called the outsider dangerous, selfsame as they'd always called Lucian disgraceful.

He'd seen what this person's magic could do. And so, Lucian forced himself to ignore the risk - not out of curiosity. But because this was his one and only chance to meet someone like him.

Tagging (gently): @crowandmoonwriting, @moonluringfrost, @the-mindless, @autumnalwalker, @writernopal, @rickie-the-storyteller, @lassiesandiego

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday!

How are arts and crafts treated in your setting? Is it a common hobby? A communal activity? Do people do it for fun? Or is it reserved for only a certain group which does it for a significant reason?

Happy WBW, Sam! Thank you so much for the Ask, @sam-glade!

I'll answer this ask for my WIPs Realms of Loss and Tales of Wilted Flowers, because these two books have been haunting my brain for the past few days!

How are arts and crafts treated in your setting? Is it a common hobby? A communal activity? Do people do it for fun? Or is it reserved for only a certain group which does it for a significant reason?

Realms of Loss

Well, the answer for that depends on where you are in the setting because Avillore and Sarythea - the main kingdoms in this world - differ majorly from one another. And since life in that continent is very much dedicated to survival, arts take a whole different meaning.

In Sarythea, arts and crafts are both a hobby for people of higher standing who have time to dedicate themselves to it, as it is an act of faith. Sarythea still holds on to their rites from the time the Old Gods were alive, and those beliefs - and the symbolism that comes with them - bleed into their craft. Art is a part of their daily lives as a way to connect to the hope that one day the gods will return and also a way to keep their culture alive despite the war outside their walls.

Craftwork is also economically important for both of the kingdoms, as it is a big part of the trade between allied provinces and helps the economy of the realms keep flowing within their territories. Trained artisans are very valued in both kingdoms for this reason, and often become powerful merchants.

Art is also one of the many things that distinguish the kingdoms from one another, as each kingdom has specific colors and symbols/designs that identify them.

Avillore, however, is slightly different. Known as the Fortress Kingdom, Avillore is deeply invested in its military developments, and as such, warfare is a huge part of its culture*. As such, much of their art is centered on themes of war, might, and power, as a way to exalt their values. People in Avillore don't view art or crafts as a simple hobby, as another way to perfect themselves and showcase their might.

(*The difference is that, though both kingdoms have been trapped in bloody combat for centuries now, and are equally matched when it comes to military prowess, the "art of war" is revered in Avillore, while to Sarythea war is a necessary evil to survive. This is one of the many differences in points of view).

Notes - The Outer Cities and the Izuhyn People

OUTER CITIES -

Context -The outer cities are the remains of kingdoms and provinces that were ravaged in the ongoing wars, which surround both of the kingdoms in outposts and villages. It's also the home to most of the population of both of the kingdoms and is situated beyond the protective walls that keep the actual capitals safe. Neglected, those outposts are a ruthless place and those who are unlucky enough to be stuck there must do what it takes to survive both the constant war and the encroaching curse that destroyed the lands beyond it*.

*The area beyond the outer cities and around the Far Reach (the wall that divides the territories of the continent in two) is a desolate freezing wasteland known as the Lost Lands, where the First Battle took place and the ancient capital of the realm (which was once unified, not divided into two) once stood - in the Lost Lands, the betrayal curse runs rampant and is the home to the first figments of what is known as forgotten magic.

Answer - As such, arts and crafts are not seen as something very valuable in these places, as survival comes first. But it does serve a few purposes, whether it is by identifying different gangs of the Guild - a network of spies and thieves that runs the outer cities from the underworld - or allowing for trade whenever a merchant dares pass through these outposts.

IZUHYN PEOPLE -

Context - The Izuhyn People are the inhabitants of an empire beyond the curse that has isolated Sarythea and Avillore. They're descendants of the Archguardians - young gods born of the ashes left behind by the Old Gods - and have very unique culture, magic, and beliefs (for reference, they're the closest thing this setting has to elves or demigods, but not quite) They've never taken part in the wars that ravaged their neighboring kingdoms (until, of course, the beginning of the book when the war literally came to them) as they consider war as a vile and unnecessary spilling of blood.

Answer - They're very connected to nature - and the magic within it - and art is one of the main ways they express that connection as well as being a great part of their culture. Art is also specifically tied to their magic and the way they cast spells, as magic is viewed as a form of art, like a tapestry or a mosaic, and as such, they're known for their intricate amulets.

Tales of Wilted Flowers -

Ravaryn - the continent where the story takes place - has many different kingdoms and species that inhabit it. The main kingdoms relevant to the story are Wenhorn (the most powerful and famous kingdom as their royal family is a descendant of one of the Called, a hero that helped save the realm a few centuries ago), Thysfire (a smaller kingdom - that's actually a duchy - on the western mountains that are known specifically for its trade of magical goods and its artistic tendencies), and Allanar (the kingdom of the Seelie Courts, which has, obviously, a population that's majorly elven or faery).

Okay, onto the answers!

Wenhorn -

As the main hub of quite frankly most of the activity in Ravaryn (be it economical, military, religious, or artistic), Wenhorn serves as a melting pot for different cultures, species, and beliefs, which come together in the city. This means that many different types of arts and crafts can also be found here - be intricate elven jewelry, to beautiful human paintings and handcrafted dwarven metal goods, just to name a few.

For the people of Wenhorn art can be equally a form of expression of their personal culture as it can be a religious activity done within a community and a form of economy. Some people do arts for fun as a part-time hobby, while others become masters in their chosen craft - Wenhorn is known for some of the best painters, architects, and jewel smiths. Being the heart of trade in the realms, artisanal goods are always in high demand in Wenhorn's bustling marketplaces, and many people come to the city just to buy - or learn - those arts.

In Wenhorn, also, inventions are considered a form of art that can be mastered. Many people travel to the kingdom to become apprentices in the royal academies and hone their skills as Inventors, joining magic with science in the mechanical gears of their creations.

Thysfire -

A duchy nestled in the edge of the western mountains of Ravaryn, with a vastly human and dwarven (magically talented or not) population, Thysfire is known for its magical exports - artisanal goods that are often crafted with or imbued with magic they source from the heart of the mountain. Art and crafts, therefore for them is viewed as their main trade and the heart of their economy.

During the famous Summertide Festival, arts are also a communal activity, when the people from the city create new decorations and art just for the event, which is deeply important for them and their culture. Many people - including royalty and nobility from other kingdoms - come to Thysfire for the festival every year, so it is a great opportunity for Thysfirans to sell their crafts and showcase their traditional art.

Allanar -

To the elves and faeries of Allanar, art serves a purpose - more than its beauty, art is a form of remembrance, a way to connect with their ancestors and keep the past alive. Some specific forms of art can be deeply important for some families and the community as a whole - intricate necklaces and jewelry often hold important symbolic meaning to individuals. There are plenty of religious rites in Allanar that strongly revolve around arts as a way to connect with their gods, such as Ildaras Day, a holiday for the elves that honors one of their gods - where one of the many celebrations, other than symbolic sports, also involves intricate and artistic dancing, and singing. The inhabitants of Allanar highly value the beauty and balance that art can create, and their city - one of, if not the most beautiful in all Ravaryn - is a reflection of that. Allanar is also known for having some of the best musicians and sculptors in the entirety of Ravaryn. Arts are also a way for their people to praise and honor the almost immortal Seelie royal family that rules their kingdom - something that often brings their people together.

WIP Moodboard, Realms of Loss - Avillore

This wonderful mood board was made by @crowandmoonwriting for my WIP!

Avillore, a fortress kingdom where might and efficiency are the ultimate goal in their path to perfect their art of war. Land of virtue and ruthlessness, above all.