"...I can clearly see that you are more than willing to die for our cause. But answer me this: Do you have the strength to live for it?"
The Kala Namak AU: Concept showcase
(This Image is technically a part 2 to this post. Meant to post it earlier but I never got around to it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
[Warning: Long post underneath the cut:]
A simple concept I came up with after the Catacombs of Silence Update: "What would happen if there were some Kala Namak Knights who survived the massacre?"
Then a better question then came to my mind: "What would happen if the Knights somehow found themselves in the modern era?"
How this AU Works/ The Story Behind It:
Timekeeper did it. That's the easy explanation.
The more detailed story here would be something along the lines of this:
The Kala Namak Order received a request for help in the Spice Lands a few months before the Knights' Final Siege. The request specifically cited a natural disaster that had destroyed a few villages and the creatures there needed relief. Because of the scope of damage that was done, the Order would send a Captain along with a large group of 29 knights to scatter to the areas where relief was needed. They would send horses, hounds, and supplies to aid the knights' string of missions that were going to take place over the course of their time here.
However, a little while after the knights arrived in the Spice Lands, they almost stumbled into an avalanche around a steep canyon area, only for time itself to be frozen by Timekeeper Cookie.
Timekeeper stopped time for everything but the knights and would lay down their current situation and their possible futures yet to pass.
"If you continue with the recovery missions here, then all of you will die. One by one you will be torn apart by the one the Spices call the Great Destroyer.
'However, there is another option that awaits you. You knights have many foes that are gathering their forces to destroy you. They will locate your base, and they will crumble all of your comrades. If you knights turn around and go the long way back home, then you will be attacked. The chances of your survival are slim, but at the least there is a chance you can turn back before it's too late...
'Or I can create a shortcut that'll take you all back home and in one piece! No more losses! The Choice is yours..."
The knights would debate among themselves for a moment before the captain agrees to Timekeeper's offer. She then creates a one-way portal and the whole party of knights goes through...
Only to find that their home was already in ruins.
"Ah, Sorry! I forgot to tell you all when you'd get back! Silly me! The Time slipped away from me so fast. I guess the rest is up to you now. But take heed! If you repeat the same mistakes as your dear comrades, then you will meet the same end."
Now the Knights are left alone to absorb the horrors of the mystery that lays before them. They are stranded in a broken shell they once called their home. The vengeful spirits see the Knights and attack them as they try to search the remnants of their home for answers.
They run into the Tomb keeper, Charcoal Cookie, who (thinking that they are spirits that somehow remember who they used to be) tells them what he believes happened to the Kala Namak Order: That their commander turned on his own knights and destroyed them all.
The Knights don't believe this, but don't have much time to debate. Their home is in ruins, and they are unable to restock on supplies here. The ghosts won't stop attacking them, and their provisions won't last forever.
So, with a heavy heart, the Last Knights of Kala Namak make the hard choice to move from their former home...
They are now in the modern world of Earthbread. They must learn how to navigate, adapt, and overcome all the obstacles thrown their way.
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[For external clarity, the Knights of Kala Namak have been sent forward in time to about 18 months before the rise of the Avatar of Destiny. So, they arrive before the Beasts are released from the Silver Tree by Dark Enchantress Cookie. Silent Salt Cookie does not know that some of his knights are still alive. Salt Cellar doesn't know about them, and they don't know about her. The knights do not stay in Beast Yeast.]
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Who are the Knights?
Here is a list of all of the characters I have made. While only 12 of the Knights have names, there are a total of 30 of them (33 if you count the Squires).
All Kala Namak Remnant knights so far:
Garlic Salt Cookie: The Captain
Was the captain of the knights assigned to the rescue and recovery mission in the Spice Badlands. He is stern, but a bit shaky under pressure. He's good at improvising and does his best to appear confident for the sake of his comrades. Even though he sticks to his role as a leader, he cares deeply for his fellow knights but tries to keep things professional for the sake of their work.
Surprisingly, Garlic Salt actually came from a family of criminals and was the reason they got caught, turning on his own father and siblings for the sake of helping the poor cookies that they once tormented.
Crystal Salt Cookie: The Horse Master
A kind and gentle soul in a suit of armor! Crystal salt was raised around horses, even traveling with a wild herd for about a year before being found by the Knights of Kala Namak. She can somewhat understand her equestrian companions and treats them as her closest friends. Because of her skills with the horses, she was even given an honorary title of Horse Master! However, her calm and sometimes shy demeaner makes Crystal Salt less reliable in combat. So, she has rectified this problem by adopting to long ranged attacks via Archery.
Kosher Salt Cookie: The Heavy Hitter
Physically, he is the biggest and strongest of the Remnants. Kosher Salt bares a past that he is not proud of and is seeking atonement through his work as a Kala Namak knight. Most of the time, he never dons his full armor due to his suit-up making him look threatening for normal civilians. Despite his exterior, he tries to be quiet and calm when interacting with the ones in need. In combat, he is a force to be reckoned with. Outside of combat, he's actually a surprisingly good cook.
Limonana Cookie: The Shield of the Spice Lands
She's reckless, but effective. Limonana joined the Kala Namak a bit later than most of her grade, opting to keep her primary flavor as a result. Having grown up in the Spice Badlands, she has only known the struggle of the weak and joined the knights as a way of helping those who were constantly crushed by the war lords. Due to her raw skill in sword fighting, the higher-ranked knights thought it would be best to try teaching Limonana more about protecting those in danger rather than tearing up a battlefield. This would result to the young knight to switch her weapon of choice from blades to shields. She has found a way to use these as weapons too though.
Limonana knows how to mop the floor with most of her opponents, but she did actually fight the Great Destroyer once and barely survived to tell the tale.
Molten Salt Cookie: The Blacksmith
Even though he was born in the Spice Badlands like Limonana, he was raised by the knights ever since he was a baby. Due to his natural born strength, he had a harder time fitting in with the other squires but found enjoyment in the craft of blacksmithing. Molten Salt was taught how to forge and mend weapons, armer, and tools for all purposes. He would take these skills with him into knighthood and eventually become the Remnants' repair expert.
He is polite, quiet, but very enthusiastic about his hobbies, and despite seeming more withdrawn, he is willing to help anyone in need as well as get involved with any situation no matter the chaos. Molten Salt just likes to be included in things!
Chipped Halite Cookie: The Mentor
A multi-generational knight and an older warrior among the Remnants, Chipped Halite comes from a jam-line of Kala Namak Knights with his great grandfather being the first to join. Chipped Halite is stern and has all of the qualities of a good leader, but he voluntarily skipped out on promotions in favor of taking care of his only child: Iodized Salt Cookie. Because of his experience raising his own, Chipped Halite is really good with caring for and comforting children.
Iodized Salt Cookie: The Scout
Full of snark and dry humor, Iodized Salt likes to keep things light and easy. Because of her great navigation skills and excellent speed and stealth, she is often relied upon as a scout for search and destroy missions. She's pretty strong on her own but works best with others. However, she does have one weakness: handling children and animals.
Flake Salt Cookie: The Keeper of the Hounds
He's as calm and as stern as his captain, but a bit laxer with the rules. Flake Salt is also really good with taking care of the Kala Namak's battle hounds. His chill personality often gets him dragged into chaotic situations and he still can't understand why he ends up dealing with some of the most hectic messes. Flake Salt is Fleur De Sel's older brother.
Fleur De Sel Cookie: The Banner Carrier
Full of energy and extremely friendly, Fleur De Sel sees the good in everyone. She's enthusiastic, encouraging, and a bit optimistically delusional at times. When she was brought into the future with the rest of the Kala Namak Remnants, she had the hardest time accepting that all of her friends that she had left behind were gone. Even so, she's done everything she can to mask the pain of her losses. Fleur De Sel is Flake Salt Cookie's younger sister.
Resin Cookie: The Record Keeper
A unique case for the Kala Namak Knights in general. Resin cookie has been a knight for over a few hundred years before being brought into the future, though not many in the remnants actually know this. The reason why she has lived so long is because Resin is actually a Wizard-baked cookie, as well as one of the first residents to leave the City of Wizards after their creators vanished.
Resin's skill set includes basic and intermediate magical knowledge and casting as well as potion crafting and memorial magic. She was also baked with a perfect memory for documenting the various experiments that were undertaken during the Wizards' heyday. To utilize this ability to the fullest as well as prevent bias or errors, Resin was also baked with a rare Veritas Elixir as one of her ingredients - a potion that makes it impossible to lie about anything. This ingredient also makes it incredibly hard for Resin to imagine anything that she hasn't seen.
Personality-wise, Resin is easy-going, calm, and very well organized. She values effectiveness over flare and is willing to help others however she can. However, Resin will only do what she is asked and if she knows something or can do something. She won't automatically help just anyone unless she is asked or prompted.
Epsom Salt Cookie: The Field Medic
Baked with a rare disease that makes one's dough incredibly sensitive and reactive to pain, he was abandoned by his parents and left to crumble before being taken in by the Knights of Kala Namak.
While most of the knights didn't know about his condition, Resin found out about it and offered a potential treatment that could help: a constant string of Epsom salt infusions into the dough. Thus, Epsom Salt cookie would lose his original flavor for the purpose of treating his condition. However, because of the constant infusions, Epsom Salt has lost the ability to feel anything physically. Because of this, he has become very careful about his own injuries, as well as studying up on medical information for general use. While all Kala Namak Knights are somewhat trained in First Aid, Epsom Salt is considered by far the best medic in terms of knowledge and skill. As a result, he is trusted with the more difficult medical procedures.
Personality-wise, Epsom is a bit flighty. He often rushes through everything that's not medical and can be a bit nervous and anxious at times. He's especially cautious about what he makes contact with for obvious reasons. When he's in his element however, Epsom Salt is precise, accurate, and cool. He has been trying to overcome his anxiety around others though... it's an uphill battle.
Prism Salt Cookie: The Battle Mage
Found in the middle of a dense forest with no memory of how she got there as a child, Prism Salt's mind has always been filled with dreams of a better world where no one has to suffer. Even before knowing the risks, she joined the Kala Namak in a heartbeat to fight for her dreams to become a reality.
What sets Prism Salt apart from her peers is her unique connection with prism magic (hence her namesake). Resin saw her potential and has been helping Prism Salt train in basic telekinetic magic for combat use. This extra training has given her a very rare position among the knights: being one of the only Battle Mages in their ranks.
Personality-wise, Prism Salt seems thoughtful on the surface and doesn't say too much, as she prefers action to words. She is a bit curious as well as restless at times. If she is left to herself, Prism Salt has a tendency to wander off. She also doesn't dive into details about what she does or where she goes unless it is important for others to know. These aspects to her make her seem mysterious and closed off. However, when she disappears it's always for a good reason.
The Stowaways
The Saltwater Taffy Triplets
Rescued from a flooded village on the coast of Beast Yeast and raised by the Kala Namak, the triplets were just some of the many squires that were training to become knights. These three were more mischievous and adventurous than their peers though and these traits would lead them to blackmail Iodized Salt Cookie. They would trick her into take them with her in secret on the Knights' big mission to the Spice Lands.
However, with the interference of time travel, they would also be brought into the future. With the Trial Master "dead" and the Kala Namak Grail missing, the triplets' shot at knighthood has been blown to pieces, leaving the trio stranded in a confusing era with an unknown future ahead of them.
Strawberry Taffy Cookie
The "leader" of the trio. She's more expressive and friendly towards those around her. She's the one that likes to ask the questions, even if she's not to fond of the answers. Strawberry loves adventure and exploration. She's actually pretty smart as well, but her impulsiveness is the main obstacle that stands in the way of her full potential.
Vanilla Taffy Cookie
The most curious member of the trio. He's less of a talker and more of a doer. Vanilla is always the first to wander off, the first to touch something he's not supposed to touch, and the first to come up with the craziest ideas that could get someone hurt. On occasion, his ideas are actually great and work wonders, but he's still learning which ones work and which ones should be avoided. He's very experimental, and paired with his quiet slip-aways, Vanilla Taffy is the one that the Knights need to keep a close eye on.
Choco Taffy Cookie
The quiet and most well-behaved of the trio. Choco likes to follow directions, read, write, and generally likes things to be quiet. She is often the voice of reason among the triplets and is especially insistent about her siblings' safety. However, her desire to see her siblings happy can often override her judgement, enabling the three to end up in situations where they are in danger or get into trouble.
Paper Sketches are Here ⬇️
While digital art is more detailed, something Devsisters should have mentioned was the fact that Kala Namak armor takes ages to draw and color! (At least for me it does. But then again, I use Artflow so that could be part of the problem.)
I made a lot of traditional sketches of the knights because it's easier and less time consuming, but it doesn't look as detailed, and I usually don't use colors when I draw with pencil.
Costume Concepts
Some ideas I had for potential "modern" disguises for a few of the knights. As well as some anime practice and a Canon version of Dead Resin Cookie.
Salem's Haven and the Saint Pastry Order [Kala Namak AU]
During the Remnant's wanderings, they come across a missionary town called Salem's Haven and settle in the surrounding area. Overtime, they learn more about the residents of the town, as well as their culture, beliefs, and their struggles. Will the Knights adapt to living near this place, conforming to the town's ways? Or will the Knights be able to stand on their principals, as well as help the town out in their own way?
The Saint Pastry Order's History with Salem's Haven
The Mission town of Salem's Haven was actually founded by the Saint Pastry Order about a year after Elder Mille-Feuille took up the Mantle of Compassion in the Creme Republic. The town is a few decades old, and home to not just a missionary and a church, but also a private school called Saint Mille-Feuille's Academy (The school was funded by her family).
While the town itself had residents before the knights arrive, the place is a bit grey. Everything is... too perfect, but also too bland at the same time. A test of faith in this place is akin to a competition of righteousness, and everyone is worried that they won't be worthy of their creator's promised paradise. This has led to an environment where everyone is trying to outcompete each other in proclamations of faith and holiness.
The Saint Pastry Order themselves are fully capable of navigating the modern world, as they have grown up in it. But they are the ones encouraging the toxic environment. However, while many words go unsaid among the Missionaries, some long for something... more real.
Brother Candle Wax Cookie
A brother and a missionary of the Saint Pastry Order. Candle Wax is stuck in the same loop day by day. While he outwardly encourages the parishioners in their ways, he himself feels empty inside. He thinks that he's not doing enough to spread the word of his Order, but it doesn't seem to matter what he does. The feeling of emptiness remains. Perhaps that feeling comes from inadequacy? Perhaps he's not as holy has his associates? He does often compare himself to his fellow missionaries...
Candle Wax is afraid that the emptiness in his heart is robbing him of any grace he's been trying to receive, but the more he tries to make up for the losses, the emptier he feels inside.
Sister Gilded Glaze Cookie
A sister and a missionary of the Saint Pastry Order. Gilded Glaze is a history teacher at St. Mille-Feuille's. She does love history as a subject, but certain questions nag at the back of her mind... questions that she has been warned not to search for the answers too.
Gilded Glaze is curious and has a secret talent she keeps from others: she is a scribe and an artist. She has been recording her own journey in the order and creating gilded tomes in the process. Some of the info she writes down is technically classified, but that doesn't stop her. After all, it's not a crime if you don't get caught.
Other than her secret curiosity, Gilded Glaze is very good with puzzles. She's a problem-solver and has a pretty good amount of patience. However, she's also aware of everyone's general demeaner when it comes to one-upping each other. Because of this, Gilded Glaze actually doesn't trust anyone in the Saint Pastry Order, and she doesn't actually care about being worthy of the divine fate. She finds her fulfillment in her manuscripts, recording her experiences, and no amount of salvation can deter her from her passions. Because she can't share her enthusiasm with others, Gilded Glaze often feels lonely.
The Head Missionary
An older cookie who has been around since the founding of Salem's Haven. He has lead the mission efforts to aid the faithful in their path to redemption... all while enjoying the perks of being in charge of everyone. Even though he claims to be a messenger of the High Fork Barrer, he barely commits to the part behind closed doors. He often indulges in worldly pleasures behind everyone's backs, all while encouraging the divisive behavior of everyone around him.
Because of his actual character, he has also made a deal with a local group of Raiders: the deal basically being that they would drive folks out of the country side and into the town in order to make it look like the number of faithful was increasing, and in exchange, he would give them a cut of the offerings from the donation baskets as well as some of the funds earned from the Order's sales.
This deal has led to abandoned farms outside of the town's pass, cramped living conditions in the town itself, and a food shortage. Crime has begun to rise among the less fortunate, leading to some misguided souls into joining the bandits that were the source of the problem.
Candelabrum
It's impossible for me to talk about the Saint Pastry Order without mentioning the Order's second victim of the Dark Rift: Candelabrum. Candle Wax Cookie would find himself following a similar fate to the High Fork Bearer, but maybe, just maybe... Maybe some new friends of his could help him stay true to himself despite this travesty.
Foot Notes
Just a few extra things I needed to add...
This AU was created as a way for me to explore more ideas about the Kala Namak Knights, how they did things, and their connections to the Saint Pastry Order.
Galic Salt Cookie makes a vow to keep all of the remaining knights alive at the start of the AU. In a possible rewrite of Chapter 15, this would mean that the Knights rescue Silent Salt Cookie, preventing his death.
Limonana Cookie fought the Great Destroyer (Burning Spice Cookie) on a mission before she was sent on this one. Of course, she had to spend some time in recovery for her injuries beforehand.
I played around with some potential armor designs that the knights could chang into (the Dark Vestige of Silence and the Silver Fusion Armor). However, I don't think either of these would be used.
The relationship between Chipped Halite and Iodized Salt cookie is more complicated than it seems. Since a few knights would often adopt some of the orphans they found, Iodized Salt would also assume that she was adopted. However, she would later learn that Chipped Halite is actually her father by jam.
In a possible draft where Salt Cellar dies, Chipped Halite is supposed to take on the Role of the Trial Master.
Iodized Salt Cookie is best friends with Prism Salt Cookie
Fleur De Sel was friends with Himalayan Salt Cookie (The Happy Kala Namak Knight) and would become close friend's with Candle Wax Cookie.
In all versions of this AU, the City of Wizards is deserted before the Divine Emissaries were backed by the witches.
In an earlier version of the AU, Resin was supposed to be a member of the Saint Pastry Order, but that was retconned.
In an earlier version of this AU, Prism Salt was meant to be Elder Faerie Cookie's descendent. However, after Bravery Hill in Chapter 15, I decided to play around with a different concept: Elder Faerie Cookie and Prism Salt Cookie share a recipe.
The Saltwater Taffy Triplets were targeted by Timekeeper because she's trying to make a potential future where they run the Time Balance Department (Still deciding if I should keep this idea or not...)
Candelabrum is set to become an Honor Guard for the Kala Namak (hence the armor in the concepts.)
Ignore the Jelly Bear Cookie. I can't remember why he exists.
Just a reminder: I am most likely not gonna continue this AU due to a backlog of projects I need to get through.
I waited to post this until after the events of the 1st arc of CRK's story because I wasn't sure how I wanted this AU to end. Do I know how it's gonna end now? Nope. Am I gonna figure it out someday? Maybe.
Anyways, if you made it to the end of this, then thank you for your time and I hope that you have a wonderful day! :3 :D
something about annabeth growing up thinking she had to know it all and be the best to be worthy of love. and then meeting a kid who isn't any of those things but still receiving love. and instead of letting her anger get the best of her and holding a grudge against him. she accepts the lessons he's taught her over the last few days. and saves this kid because he is one of the few people who has cared for her unconditionally. yeah, don't talk to me.
