Draft Plan
Woo! finally finished! update is a day early. i've abandoned the write-something-and-see-what-it-turns-into-approach but have decided to plan and imagine it out first. i've got as far as the setting, and some of the characters and background history but i've yet to pound out a solid plot. Blergh! i've been up all night so i'm off to bed, here's what i've written so far; Enjoy and please comment intelligently.
Jaala
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Plot outline
Settings
- The Southern Frontier-Near human settlements; centered in the Town of Kata-nas’ta
- The Elven Capital the trading center of the Continent.
- Gaia’s port city (Translation: “The Returning”) A Major Trading Gateway for the Sea Elves to rest of the Elven continent.
Background/history
About 200 – 150 years ago, the border towns started to boil over partially due to pressure from the human king, partially due to famine and drought; human persecution of Half breeds were at an all time high; Many of these desperate people turned to Banditry to try and support themselves, preying on isolated Elven farmsteads (as Elven technology depends on jewels and crystals {worth a lot to humans but are very mundane to elves} to power their lights, heating etc.) looting, burning and killing. The Elves retaliated in kind. However as protectors they were bound by their nature and their oath not to kill unless necessary; those involved in the raids, were one by on hunted down, mentally tortured by transferring all the trauma their victims felt and experience onto them and then releasing them to the families to work as slave-servants (maimed in such a way that they could NEVER fight again) until they dropped or broke free of the mental torture loop they were locked into by repenting ,earning the forgiveness of the families and repairing all the damage they had done; when they had they were released back into the human society or given the option to stay on in the Elven nation- most never did and so died of old age working for the families they hurt- experiencing everyday as they when about their tasks the day that they attacked and killed the families from the point of view of their victims. Some fortunately went mad, and were released back into the towns.
Things got to a head when one group, whose aim was not only to loot and gain quick profit but also to gain control of the entire border area eventually carving out a tiny kingdom for themselves; calling themselves A’Ak-Krass (translation: “The Implacable Enemy”) led by the son of a dangerous political elf exile started taking captives to sell in the slave markets, in particular they targeted female children age range 20-80 years/cycles which brought premium prices in the slave markets of the west- the rest they raped and/or killed. They took particular pleasure in leaving one member of their intended family alive brutally tortured to spread their message of fear. In this manner they managed to gain control of large areas of territory in 2-3 years/cycles
The Eldars response (took awhile from the human point of view-instantaneously from theirs) was to put Danir (a member of the Gaiaen Royal family: in elven society you climbed your way to your top to be a royal-> all their leaders were and are expected to be the best in everything especially in their respective areas of specialization. The high ranked you were the more talented you were expected to be-and the fewer mistakes you can afford to make. Those that were even the slightest bit incompetent were quickly removed and usually exiled or “forgotten” i.e. accidental deaths by common consent) in charge with the freedom to deal with the outrage in anyway he saw fit.
Danir’s response was brutal and instant:
1. All the members, sympathizers of the A’Ak-Krass and any one even remotely related to them were to be ruthlessly hunted down and killed slowly no matter who, what and where they were by elven assassins. Their corpses were displayed publicly with the notice in the local language explain who, what and why they were killed.
2. Any Bandits or thieves were given the choice to commit suicide or to be fed the trauma of being a victim of a bandit attack and sold back to the very same slavers they sold the elven children to.
3. The Half breeds as a Race were to be eradicated or absorbed if possible into either the human or Elven Society. Those children that had enough Elven Blood in them to survive in Elven society were taken in and adopted. The rest (unless they had an elven sponsor of good standing to vouch for them) were stripped of their Elven heritage, all manifested birthstones were shattered, their links to the overmind (must be renamed) broken. Those that were stripped, just faded away, having lived many spans beyond the average human- on the genetic component of being an elf remained in them. Even those who were fully assimilated into human society were hunted down and were stripped or if able, were allowed to rejoin elven society. Those that refused and did not want to be stripped were forcibly relocated (or instantly executed if they still refused to co-operate) to the new towns that were springing up on the orders of Danir. Only those who were very wealthy, powerful/very well connected or they deemed useful escaped but were made to report to an elven Eldar every cycle (if they failed to report or carry out finish the tasks they were assigned to they were killed). In this manner, the elves gained a net work of spies scattered throughout the human nations
4. Those areas/ towns under A’Ak-Krass Control were forcibly evacuated and razed to the ground. Its population was re-housed in new towns (quickly and sturdily built) under military control.
5. He passed new laws, stating that the birth of any half breed was illegal and property of the elven state. Any marriages between elves and humans was illegal; the pair caught attempting it was to be subjected to be stripped (elf) made into a slave-servant for life. All existing marriages between elf and human were still valid unless one or both parties wished otherwise.
6. Decided it was time to end their isolationist policy and started preparing envoys to be sent to all the human empires/nations with the ultimate end of setting up schools to exchange information and educate humans about their culture so that they would not be a feared (and therefore dangerous) mystery, bogymen but rather be seen as a race of benevolent until provoked people in the hopes that they would refrain from trying to attack/declare war on the elven nation.
7. A through list of missing children was compiled and teams of two/three comprising of a healer and a warrior and a negotiator were sent out with orders to find and reclaim the children. They were also under orders to mop up any elements of half breeds and A’Ak-Krass missed by the experts and to gather as much information about the human culture, nations, customs military strengths, classes etc. as possible. And recommend possible and viable ways of dealing with them.
All this was accomplished in a Cycle, with Danir gaining much prestige from it but also unwittingly gaining a problem that was to dog him for the rest of his life.
The result of all these measures was that:
- As a race half breeds were virtually extinct, they once were numerous could be found any where and everywhere, but where now mostly concentrated in the border area between the elves and the humans.
- Humans were slowly losing fear of the elves sometimes to their advantage sometimes not, trade was and information/ideas were slowly being exchanged between the two races although intermarriage was strictly discouraged especially by the elves.
- The traditionalist elements although muffled were far from silent to the relief of everyone in the Ruling Gaiaen Family.
- the border areas were no longer the cesspits of both nations but rather peaceful and law abiding areas that were quickly turning a profit (once the elves had adopted the human custom of taxes)
Characters so far…
v Ae’thri
A half-breed with connections to the Gaiaen Family; her father is Ora the Male Twin of the Pair of Merchant Twins. She is verbally mute but has an impressive Telepathic range, true to her heritage. Her mother is also a half breed; with more elven blood in her than normal half breeds; and is sister to Bacchan who is her guardian. Born with pointy ears and silver hair characteristic of her “race”, she is very intelligent but unfortunately nobody seems to realize that; often to her advantage.
v Bacchan
Commonly known as “the Boar” and famed for his blustering temper and loud rages. He is Ae’thri’s guardian and Maternal uncle. An armor maker by trade specializing in the making of amour from what humans call “Capris” (a corrupted elvish word meaning Dragon Dung-capris is exactly that).
Bacchan, a widower-his wife is never spoken of; is of the race of half breeds originating from the border towns. His Ancestors were exiles from the Elven nation usually for serious crimes, i.e. stealing, killing, (rarely) political (i.e. screwing up major assignments producing results which the Eldars (NB must rename) deem unfixable and dangerous.), importing drugs and humans seeking a quick profit, a new start, or exiles deemed unfit to remain in human society; in short the very vigorous dregs of human society.
v Tomas
Son of Bacchan and a petty trader by occupation; He owns a pawnshop two streets away from his uncles shop and is also his uncles capris supplier. How he gets it is not known but is suspected to be linked to the notorious A’Ak-Krass group (which is technically impossible was they were wiped out 200 years ago). Sly, cunning, Intelligent, Mercenary, lecherous, he has few redeeming qualities.
v Danir
2nd son of Legolas and Gaia; carries the title of Warrior Protector of the lands. He is in De Facto Command of all elven military, having clawed his way up there. He is outwardly the perfect elf, always acting in best interests of the nation, upholding and preserving elven tradition and seems to be his mother’s (The Lady Gaia Warrior-literal translation) right hand man but inwardly he sometimes wishes he could break free of his mothers grip as he does not agree entirely with her views of the world and how the nation should be governed. He does not wish to be Danir The Warrior Protector (expected as soon as he shown the talent of the fighting arts) but accepts it as part of his place in the world. He wishes he could have been a scribe like his older brother Eskh’thri.
v Rosmerta
Danir’s Girlfriend; affectionately known as Rosa they have had an on off relationship for the past 200 years, met during the A’Ak-Krass insurgency, Rosmerta was one of those assigned to clean his quarters by the town council. Rosmerta is a widow with 2 grown up kids. One is a wheat farmer and owns a farm in the flatlands near the capital; the other is a cadet-soldier in the palace guard-a largely ceremonial (by Elven standards) army. She is a plump, warm cheerful, practical, down to earth and warm woman who loves kids and is currently fostering a few children orphaned by the bandit raids. She now runs an inn in the town of
v Darius
Son of Danir and Rosamerta. Unwittingly conceived some 90 years ago in the heat of battle celebrations. Is unaware of who his father is but believes that he died in the raids before he was born. Rosa and Danir are fully aware of his parentage though. He is baby faced and extremely sweet natured, caring, responsible with a strong sense of duty BUT also is quite dirty minded and likes to chase the ladies and has a very sharp and sarcastic tongue which he doesn’t hesitate to use
posted by Jaala at 6:26 AM
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