WIP Intro Post

WIP Intro Post

School of the Legends

Well I've decided to go ahead and do this now!

Basics

SOTL is a YA urban fantasy fairy tale retelling planned to be four books in length

Queer and disability representation and diverse ethnic representation

Ensemble cast

Multi-foci POVs in third person

Themes of family, purpose, relationships, power, self-discovery, coming of age, good and evil, destiny, and more!

About

SOTL does not follow a traditional story structure, as it has multiple plots going on at once - though they crossover and connect

In this fictional world, there are humans and fae creatures. Fae have natural magic based on what type of fae they are. Humans typically do not have magic, but there are three ways for humans to have magic.

Human Magic #1- A Gift: a small number of humans are born with a specific power or magic type, similar to a mutation

Human Magic #2- Becoming Majicked: Just like any skill, humans can learn magic. However, it is best to start from an early age and focus on one specific craft to become proficient.

Human Magic #3- Get Cursed: Despite the negative connotation, curses have expanded to mean any power acquired through another source, usually a fae. Humans are not the only beings who can become cursed.

The primary setting is an international school of teens with one of the magic types. While not a requirement, it has a specifically designed curriculum to accommodate adolescents in controlling their powers, as this is the time in which doing so will be a struggle.

Where Am I?

SOTL is unfortunately not very far along. The plot(s) is very basically outlined with only some major plot beats, vague ideas, and specific scenes planned.

A lot of characters of a variety of importance are in the process of being planned. I add to this when inspiration strikes.

I also have many books of fairy tales, legends, etc set aside to read from to get ideas, but unfortunately I've read, like, one.

Five chapters of SOTL have been written in total, and I am actually proud of them.

Tags

All SOTL related content is tagged as both #school of the legends and #sotl for convenience

#sotl update and #sotl excerpt are self explanatory and are used when relevant

All characters have their own tags

Reply to this post or send me a message if you want to be added to/removed from the taglist! (Note: I do not use this tag list as much as TSP)

@illarian-rambling

WIP Playlist Tag

I wasn't tagged by anyone in particular for this (recently at least) but I was inspired to make this so here we go!

Rules: Choose 10 songs that remind you of your WIP or which overall fit the story's plot, aesthetic, or vibe 🌟

I'll go with Supernova Initiative, Song of Thorns, and Of Starlight and Beasts for this one.

SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE

(Check Out the Full WIP Playlist here)

Antigravity - RUNAGROUND

Money Run Low - The Score

It's Unheard Of - Crossworm

Middle Finger - Bohnes

Superhero - Simon Curtis

Die For You - VALORANT ft. Grabbitz

Fighter - The Score

Strong For Somebody Else - Citizen Soldier

Rob A Bank - Confetti

Protector - City Wolf

SONG OF THORNS

(Check Out the Full WIP Playlist here)

The World We Made - Ruelle

Life After Life - Dracula The Musical

My Love Will Never Die - Claire Windham

Song of the Seven - Joey Batey

Children of The Night - Jonathan Young

Hellhounds of The Deep - Karliene

Goodbye - Arcane

City Of The Dead - Eurielle

Love Story - Indilla

Tale Of The Shadow - Sail North

OF STARLIGHT AND BEASTS

(Check Out the Full WIP Playlist here)

Peasant's Throne - Lilith Max

Ghost Of A Rose - Blackmore's Night

In Her Eyes - Josh Groban

The Captain's Daughter - Eurielle

The Voice - Celtic Woman

Mordred's Lullaby - Heather Dale

Evermore - Karliene

I See Fire - Zyrah

Pale - Within Temptation

Grieve No More - Patty Gurdy

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

Character Voice Tag!

Thanks for the tag, @willtheweaver (here)!

By the way, if you like this, please reblog, it helps a lot 💕

I'll go with the cast of Supernova Initiative! Let's go (:

MY LINE WAS: What did I do to deserve this?

YOUR LINE IS: Well. That was horrifying. Anyways, moving on!

I'm gonna put a bit of context in brackets because I think it helps (:

SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE

Jack Tithus (probably in tears, talking to the Director) - "What did I ever do to you, you sick bastard?!"

Artemis Zreeth (deadpan, after Meridian makes a cringey joke) - "What is your problem with me, robot-man?"

Cassiopeia Tithus (pissed off, almost decking Deimos)- "Well we didn't ask you to come back! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Deimos Soll (trying to sound unemotional, actually terrified of General Laylah) - "You have refused to inform me of the purpose of my capture. Until you explain to me what your qualm with my person is, I shall refuse to comply with any orders coming from you."

Vesper Foxx (knife to the person's throat, pinning them to the wall by the scruff of their shirt): "What do you want, fucker? You seem to have a problem with me, so why don't we solve this one-on-one?"

Pax Stellaryn (mildly annoyed but chuckling after his brother pranked him): "Gosh, what did I do to deserve that this time? What is your excuse (chuckles)?"

Aleks Keldora (genuinely concerned): "Did I do something wrong? I must have. Can you please tell me so I can make it better?"

Ethean Mirannir (done with everything): "Why are you like this? Just why. What did I ever do to you?"

Noctus (seemingly unemotional and slightly cheeky): "If you have any problems with my work, do take it up with my supervisors at the Junction. I'm sure they would be pleased to redirect you."

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

OC Picrew Tag!

I found this really cool Picrew and decided to make some of my OCs using it! I think you guys might like giving it a try as well, so I'm tagging a few people in this post (:

Here we go!

Rules: Use the provided Picrew to make one of your WIPs OCs, then provide a quick description of the character, and (optionally) a "funny/bad" version of a summary

SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE

Deimos Soll

About: An infamously silver-tongued assassin, sniper, and mercenary known for being unpredictable and always having hidden intentions, Deimos is Jack and Cassie's former crewmate and first childhood friend, turned rival, turned begrudging-friend-again. Deimos is the most successful and deadly sniper in the whole galaxy, feared even by the Junction at his full potential.

Badly/Funny Summarization: Essentially a young, alien, 'space opera' version of John Wick with extra angst and a very questionable moral compass

Lyorna Alyrii

About: A young and optimistic freedom fighter from a water folk of a faraway planet in the Khosmonian galaxies who believes in a freer future for her people and an end to the oppressive regime of the Junction. Focused and brilliant, Lyorna wants to uphold her father's legacy and bring peace to the galaxy. She becomes friends with Jack Tithus during his crew's mission on the Khosmonian galaxy and later on they become each other's love interest.

Bad Summarization: An overly optimistic, too-precious young adult who should be protected at all costs and has almost no plan for anything at any given moment in time and should not be left unsupervised.

Noctus

About: Though his full name is classified and unknown to the cast, his reputation precedes him. He is the single most successful special forces secret agent currently in the employ of the Junction - he has never failed a mission, never missed a target. And he always follows orders, always obeys the rules. However, is everything about him what it seems? A forgotten and suppressed part of his memory may prove that the system he fought so dearly to uphold may have actually made him into their perfect living weapon, and there may be many other lies yet to be uncovered

Bad Summarization: Twenty-something secret agent done with everything and everyone who only wanted to have a simple mission and ends up 'adopted' by the gang of misfits he was sent to supervise.

SONG OF THORNS

Tullieh Aerlys

About: The undefeated and steadfast commander of the Guardians, who protect the Mountain Elves' hidden kingdom and keep outsiders from discovering their land. Tullieh is a serious, no-nonsense young man to whom duty and honor mean everything, due to a personal grudge against humans, especially those who hunt mythical beings, he will do anything to honor his vow and keep his people - especially his younger siblings - from being found by outsiders, even if it means being ruthless and unforgiving to a questionable degree.

Bad Summarization: Traumatized ancient teenager who grew up way too fast and should never have been given a gun and a sword under any circumstances, but has both of those things and a lack of self-preservation instincts to make everything worse.

Renn Atrius

About: A foreign noble from beyond the royal lands, he was forced into the lifestyle of a thief from a young age, after being orphaned when his father, a Vampyr, was murdered for refusing to obey their neighboring kingdom's crown. Learning the art of disappearing into the night and taking valuables from the land that took everything from him and colonized his nation, Renn quickly became quite the nuisance for the King. But thankfully to his connection to raw blood magic, his slight vampiric abilities ensure no human soldier ever proves a real threat to him. He starts to fall in love with Roselyn, having become friends with her after trying to steal her coin purse (having mistaken her for a tourist from the capital).

Bad Summarization: Goth dhampyr way too reckless for his own good chooses to be a menace to the System while also refusing to deal with his very much unresolved childhood trauma.

Cadenza Narellie

About: A young faery noble, Cadenza is the only child of a once-powerful, now defamed, High House. After rumors about her father's supposed alliance with their nation's enemies, the human royals from the neighboring kingdom, their reputation came crashing down, and so did the bond they once shared, as her father grew mysteriously distant from her. Realizing something is seriously amiss, Cadenza takes it upon herself to investigate and find out the truth about what is truly happening, even if it gets her accused of treason herself.

Bad Summarization: Local faery with way too much time on her hands and no friends decides to dive into a conspiracy and is surprised when that decision has consequences.

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @cowboybrunch, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈PRIDE THEMED OC ASK GAME🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

Bc I wanted one and didn't find it so. Here

[Send ask aimed at a specific character]

1. What's your oc's gender identity? What's their relationship to their gender?

2. What's your oc's orientation? (Romantic/sexual/platonic alterous ect) Do they have opinions about it?

3. How did your oc discover themself? Did something cause them to question, or did they always know?

4. Is your oc's environment supportive about their identity? How does this impact them?

5. How did you figure out your oc's identity?

6. How does your oc feel about labels? Theirs, or in general?

7. Is there something that could cause your oc to question their identity? What?

8. Have they had struggles with their identity, be it due to internal or external reasons?

9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

10. Does your oc celebrate Pride? How?

11. Is your oc open about their identity? Are they more lowkey or more blunt about it? Why or why not?

12. Does/did your oc ever wish they could change the way they are? Why? If it's in the past, how did they get over the feeling? (this can be about internalized homo/transphobia)

13. Would your oc be open to a poly relationship? Why or why not?

[Not aimed at a specific character] / [Aimed at creator]

14. Do you have ocs on the aro or ace spectrum?

15. Do any of your ocs use neopronouns? Which ones?

16. Did you ever change an oc's identity when they were already established? Why?

17. Do you share identity with any of your ocs? Which ones?

18. Do you prefer to give your ocs specific labels, or keep it unspecified? Why? If applicable, do you change their labels depending on circumstance?

19. Do you have preferences about depicting homo/transphobia in your stories? What, and why? Does it vary by story?

20. Have your ocs helped you in self discovery? How?

21. Free ramble card wee

PRINCESS - Urban fantasy or high fantasy?

WIZARD - Who is your favourite character in this WIP? Describe them!

Thanks for the ask @the-ellia-west!

(Ask Game Here)

PRINCESS - Urban Fantasy or High Fantasy

Definitely High Fantasy in the medieval variety (or at least historically inspired, Victorian Era is great too)! I'm very picky when it comes to urban fantasy and usually don't like it, though I do have a minor WIP in that genre, it isn't where my unbridled passion lies. That spot is reserved for high fantasy, dark fantasy, and science fiction/space opera.

WIZARD - Who Is Your Favorite Character in this WIP? Describe them!

I'll do you one better: I'll tell you my top three favorite characters (or at least the ones I have the most fun writing right now) from two of my main current WIPs (in no particular order)!

SONG OF THORNS:

Kane Mylestrom:

About: Kane is a cocky and undefeated young knight widely known as the Dragon of the Golden City for his exploits and victories. After being betrayed by the nobles he idolized and being left for dead, Kane embarks on a journey with the people he least expected to ever align himself with - the group of outlaws who are the main cast of the book - to kill the King and save his ward (adoptive sister) from a crooked fate.

Physical Appearance: Kane is a tall and muscular young man with medium to long silvery white hair and brown eyes. His skin is pale and he has quite a few battle scars. Before his betrayal, Kane used to wear his signature silver armor with the insignia of the Order of Storms upon his chestplate (a sea dragon) or pristine noble robes, typically in the colors of dark blue or grey with gold filigree. He is quite handsome and charming.

Renn Atrius:

About: A former vampyric noble, Renn's live was destroyed at a very young age - at five years old, he witnessed his father (a vampyr) being killed by hunters sent by human royalty. Renn escaped and became an infamous outlaw and thief, stealing from the rich and powerful nobility of Hyghsummit as a way to spite the ones who murdered his father. He joins the story's MC on a quest to expose and defeat the cruel royals that oppress their land and keep humans from waging war on his people.

Physical Appearance: Renn has long pitch-black hair, which he usually styles into an intricate bun or ties into a ponytail. His skin is almost completely stark white, like snow or paper - a vampiric trait he inherits from his Vampyr father - while his eyes are a warm light greyish brown - a trait he inherits from his human mother. He is of average height and quite slender. He has pointy ears like that of an elf or faery, and sharp vampiric fangs. Usually, he wears pristine black robes with golden trim, black pants, and boots. He still has his father's hemomancy amulet on a necklace.

Elveryn Haven:

About: A ruthless, unyielding, and unstoppable monster hunter bound in a bloodthirsty quest for revenge against his younger brother's untimely death, Elveryn plays the role of a minor antagonist during the first acts of this book but has an unexpected change of heart when he finds out a bitter secret from his past which changes his whole worldview. He then decides to have his redemption helping the MCs defeat the King.

Physical Appearance: Elveryn is a very tall, slender but surprisingly strong young man. He has medium-length pale blond hair and warm, slightly tan, skin, with a scar on one side of his face. He has sharp, dark grey eyes. Elveryn always carries his updated crossbow, of his own creation, with him at all times, along with a quiver of explosive silver bolts - and has a deadly aim. He usually wears a long dark grey overcoat, dark pants, a worn-out pitch-black cloak for camouflage, leather boots, and gloves.

SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE:

Jack Tithus:

About: Jack is a young and charming intergalactic thief, the most wanted man by the Junction, and the story's protagonist. He is also a caring older brother - after raising his younger sister practically alone, he will do whatever it takes to keep Cassie and their friends safe. Even if it means accepting to become a mad scientist's lab rat. Overall, Jack is a kind, funny, and outgoing young man with a bright personality, a tendency for recklessness, and a knack for leadership, who wants to rebel against their galaxy's oppressive "utopian" (dystopian) regime and find a better future.

Physical Appearance: Jack has bright auburn/red hair which is styled into an asymmetrical bob (with an undercut on one side and longer curls on the other). He has brown eyes and a sharp, incredibly joyful smile. Jack has average height and usually wears a simple white shirt under his "space pirate" leather jacket, along with simple neon blue cargo pants and combat boots, as well as black fingerless gloves. He always wears a simple trinket necklace which Cassie has a matching half of.

Deimos Soll:

About: An infamously silver-tongued assassin, sniper, and mercenary known for being unpredictable and always having hidden intentions, Deimos is Jack and Cassie's former crewmate and first childhood friend, turned rival, turned begrudging-friend-again. Deimos is the most successful and deadly sniper in the whole galaxy, feared even by the Junction at his full potential. He hails from the winter deserts of the planet of Ivion, and met Jack and Cassie after moving to the planet's moons, and was their friend until they parted ways due to differing opinions. He is cunning, painfully introverted, efficient, and sometimes awkward, while also being a smooth-talker and natural blackmailer. He has a redemption arc later on in the story and decides to save his friends from the setup he had created for his own benefit, endangering himself in the process but regaining his friendship and morality.

Physical Appearance: Deimos is an uncannily tall young alien man (by human standards at least). He has pale blue skin and very long dark indigo/blue hair with purple undertones, he usually keeps his hair meticulously tied. His eyes are deep violet and he has sharp fangs and an equally dangerous smile. He is lanky and very thin but makes but for it with deadly accurate sniper skills. He has clawed hands with a color gradient - his fingers are a deep blue that becomes faint and pale as it reaches his wrist and arm. He wears pristine clothes, opting for a casually fancy look that is also bulletproof (literally).

Cassiopeia Tithus:

About: Jack Tithus' younger sister and a brilliant inventor and engineer, Cassie focuses her talents on the creation of robots that aid their crew during their heists and generally make their lives easier. She has an optimistic and friendly personality though sometimes she chooses to be a menace. Cassie is generally rebellious, but harbors lesser contempt for the Junction than Jack, mostly because he always sheltered her from the worst of it so she isn't really aware of how low their world can go. She has a helpful, kind personality and always wants to help everyone fit in, but also has a strong sense of justice and harbors grudges like nobody else. Cassie is also more introverted than Jack.

Physical Appearance: Cassiopeia has average height and weight, and has curly hair which she usually dyes neon blue. Her natural hair color is a slightly more brunette shade of auburn than Jack's. She has brown eyes. She has pale and freckled skin. Cassie usually wears practical but very colorful clothes, in very bright hues. Her typical attire includes a simple T-shirt, which she may or may not have "borrowed" from her brother, long cargo pants, and a colorful coat of her choice (bomber jackets, oversized hoodies, leather jackets, etc, depending on her mood). She is almost always fidgeting with some kind of new robot invention she is working on and always carries lots of gadgets around in her backpack.