Jackrabbit week 2017 - Day 4: Royalty AU
This is… my favorite thing I have drawn in years. Now you know what all those horse and hare studies were about. The only reason this has a decent background is because I’ve been watching Bob Ross videos while working on it. xD haha That man is truly inspiring!
Here are some notes on this AU, taken straight from google docs. I really love this idea and would love to revisit it in the future. ^^
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The story:
The Lunanoff royal family has been slain by Pitch, except for Manny, or Prince Lunar, who grew up in the protective bubble of the Moon Clipper which has completely isolated him from the outside world. While technically still Tsar, he cannot rule over his Kingdom in a necessary capacity, but he’s found a way to communicate with his subjects through magic, so every few thousand years, he chooses a Heir to rule in his stead.
The heirs are chosen from a vast court of lesser royalty that still have at least a drop of royal blood flowing through them, and thus the magic that is meant to protect the Kingdom. Everyone wants to be noticed and chosen, so the competition has grown cutthroat over the centuries and the court has been corrupted from the inside.
As the previous Heir falls prey to Pitch’s machinations, Pitch uses the distraction to gather his forces in secrecy. He’s planning a full-on assault on the unsuspecting Kingdom.
The Guardians are protectors of the Kingdom and are there to support the chosen Heir. While the Guardians sometimes fall and are chosen anew, some, like Bunny and Sandy, have looked over countless Heirs in their lifetimes.
As the ceremony for the choosing grows closer, everyone is speculating who the new Heir will be. To everyone’s shock, the Tsar’s choice falls on someone no one had expected - Jack Frost, a young princeling barely into adulthood, with a very obscure lineage that makes everyone question if there’s any royal blood in him at all.
Of course, Bunny is the most outraged by this decision, because all he’s seen of Jack through the years has been nothing but the young princeling fooling around and causing trouble. He has no faith in the new Heir and no desire to serve him.
Jack is as flabbergasted as the rest of them. He’d always felt left out of the court, but he’s never wanted to take part in the intrigue and certainly never expected to get the title of Tsarevitch Lunanoff. He doesn’t take his responsibilities seriously at first, thinking there has to be some kind of mistake that will certainly be corrected soon.
Everything changes when the Guardians discover traces of Pitch’s evil plot. With cryptic silence from Tsar Lunar, the Guardians have no other choice but to school the young Heir in the skills necessary to fight a coming war.
Forced to work together, Bunny gradually learns more about Jack and grows to respect him for who he is. While he may not be like any of the previous heirs, there’s something in the young man that sparks joy and laughter in the people around him. Perhaps, this is exactly the ruler their Kingdom really needs.
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Character profiles:
Bunny - an advisor and head of guard in peacetime, he is always by the Heir’s side. A scout and spy in wartime, he takes risky missions to sniff out information about Pitch’s movements, sometimes quite literally. He is an expert in moving in the shadows or underground, using his speed and quick wits to his advantage.
Toothiana - mistress of the servants in peacetime, she is secretly the Tsar’s spymaster, keeping an eye on the court’s activities thanks to her servant girls. In wartime, she is a strategist and general. She is used to taking command and seeing the bigger picture, but she’s also a proficient sword fighter who is never found on the sidelines, but rather in the midst of battle.
North - a genius and innovator in peacetime, his countless creations are meant to make everyone’s lives better, while other times, they are meant to entertain. He doubles as the master of ceremony for the Tsar. In wartime, his workshop produces all the weapons and machines needed to arm the fighters. His creative mind isn’t limited to technology, but also helps brainstorm surprising solutions when fighting against the enemy.
Sandy - stable master in peacetime, he provides transportation for all the court’s needs. His favorite pastime is looking after the highly priced dreamsand horses and other creatures created by his magic – when he is not found taking a nap. In wartime, his immense magical power has proven to be an obstacle to Pitch time and time again.
