(Trailer begins at timestamp 1:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voPFd6efJUM)
A sea as calm as a lake. Makes people forget about the storm for a moment. Not even a stone could make a single ripple on the sea. But it can create waves in the hearts of the people.
“Somewhere in the world… are treasures buried that all desire.”
The journey of pursuing a dream never had flaws. But this journey leads to challenges. One day… The journey will be forgotten. Even if there is only one person, who will reach the destination. No one ever doubts their direction. Intertwined and colliding dreams… will turn into wings and survive the most terrible storms. In front of them… even the sharpest wind and rain will become dull.
At the end of the journey you will find a treasure, But there is still evil lingering at every corner! Go, write your own story.
Go! Become a legend!
The main characters of COA 1 are Pirate Captain and Caged Butterfly.
Pirate Captain: His only purpose in life is to find that unique gift for his beloved. He never thought that it would be met with disgust and disdain.
Caged Butterfly: She loves that innocent Asian lady from the Madame Butterfly and thought she would find a love that was more genuine, but she never thought that her fate would be as bleak. The vast ocean devoured her sailor and devoured her everything.
Pirate Captain is in love with Caged Butterfly, his “beloved”, who he spends all his time searching for “that unique gift” for her. Caged Butterfly also likes Pirate Captain, but he doesn’t make his love apparent enough to her. We know this from Leo’s Telescope accessory, which says before he went out searching for treasure, he looked toward where his heart was, meaning Caged Butterfly, but “never took a step in that direction”. All Caged Butterfly sees is him spending all his time out on the ocean on various voyages rather than with her. This is why Caged Butterfly says the sea “devoured her sailor and devoured her everything”. This connects with how, once Pirate Captain did eventually retrieve the gift he was looking for, why he says he was surprised to be met with “disgust and disdain”. He was surprised because he hadn’t understood how Caged Butterfly was feeling about him constantly being gone and spending all his time out at sea. She thought he didn’t care about her and only wanted treasure.
Telescope: Before searching for treasure, the captain would use it look out into the distance looking for where his heart lies, but he never took a step in that direction.
Caged Butterfly’s feelings about how their relationship is going connects to Caged Butterfly mentioning the story of Madame Butterfly.
This story is about a girl that falls in love with someone who doesn’t love her the same way. He simply chases her like one would a butterfly. He sees their marriage as temporary until he finds a real American woman to marry (instead of Madame Butterfly, a Japanese bride). Eventually, he does leave and marry another woman, who he brings with him when he comes back for his and Madame Butterfly’s child. Madame Butterfly had remained loyal until she sees his new wife, at which point she attempts to kill herself (the opera version has her succeed, while the short story has her stop after being reminded of her child).
The comparison to Madame Butterfly’s story would explain why Caged Butterfly says “she never thought her fate would be as bleak”, as she had hoped for “a love that was more genuine”. She had hoped her love with Pirate Captain would be this “more genuine” love. Unfortunately, Caged Butterfly feels the same way as Madame Butterfly, as just a “butterfly” that is to be chased, but that he doesn’t actually love her. She is mistaken though, as Pirate Captain does actually love her, with Vera’s Iris accessory likely coming from Pirate Captain. My reasoning here is because iris flowers in real life can attract butterflies and would thus tie in to the Madame Butterfly story as well as Caged Butterfly’s misunderstanding about Pirate Captain.
Iris: The caged butterfly will never forget the fragrance of a flower.
Caged Butterfly thinking someone doesn’t care for her when they actually parallels how Chloe (Perfumer) mistakenly thought the same regarding the real Vera (Perfumer’s sister), which was why Chloe killed her. Leo being in love with Martha Remington who leaves him and eventually gets killed off parallels Pirate Captain, his love for Caged Butterfly, and Caged Buttefly’s eventual fate I’ll soon discuss. The disgust and disdain expressed by Caged Butterfly towards Pirate Captain also accurately parallels Martha’s comments to Leo in Emma’s 5th deduction.
Deduction 5: Little Girl's Diary 2: Father and Mother quarreled. Mother said that father's clothes were always dirty. Father didn't say anything
Back to the story, someone else has learned of the relationship between Caged Butterfly and Pirate Captain.
I’m referring to Pirate Captain’s first mate, Jack as Stern Mate and Manta Ray Mate, who’s noticed Pirate Captain’s love for Caged Butterfly. He wasn’t happy about this. The first mate wanted Pirate Captain to focus on being a pirate and looking for treasure. He felt the captain’s infatuation was a ridiculous waste of time and only made him weak.
Stern Mate: He wasn't willing to live under the command of any one person, especially not someone like this captain smitten by boring romance.
Manta Ray Mate: He persisted in that throwing the butterfly to the depths of the ocean was the best way to awaken the captain. But in the end, he didn't think it was worth losing that treasure.
So, to “awaken the captain”, he decided to “throw the butterfly to the depths of the ocean”. Based on Madame Coral mentioning she woke up in a cage sinking to the ocean floor (from translations of other versions), Jack likely tried to drown her by first putting her in a cage before trying to drown her. Jack also mentions losing a “treasure” at the same time. This was likely Vera’s Sea Snail accessory (called a Conch Shell in other versions). This is important because it is said to be capable of “resurrection”. Caged Butterfly being “reborn” as Madame Coral parallels how Chloe took Vera’s (her sister’s) identity and became “Vera” instead. The conch shell is also said to grant “eternal youthful looks”, which is likely why Pirate Captain was looking to give this gift to Caged Butterfly. It may also connect to how, once Caged Butterfly becomes Madame Coral, why both Deep Sea Turtle and Sharkbite mention a woman that they are helping (Deep Sea Turtle says he’s never seen someone as beautiful as her, while Sharkbite describes her as “worth protecting”).
Madame Coral: She awoke in a prison next to an oceanic volcano and realized that her body merged with the coral. The water was hot enough to burn flesh, and her heart sank to the depths.
Sea Snail: According to legend, only the sea snail is capable of resurrection. Eternal youthful looks is something countless people desire, but it would seem that this one has lost its luster.
After he sent Caged Butterfly to the ocean depths, the first mate successfully “awakened the captain”, as Pirate Captain becomes Golden Sea Monster. This occurs because of the captain’s grief over losing Caged Butterfly, which left a hole in his heart. To attempt to fill this void, he begins focusing on finding treasure (gold, based on his name). Due to this transformation, he begins to be described as “terrifying”, as we see from Pirate Spotter and Blacktip. Pirate Spotter potentially came from a different ship that was defeated by the captain and forcefully recruited (aka, join or die), which could be the sort of thing Pirate Gunner is for. Blacktip apparently is fighting the captain, based on Sharkbite’s description, for Madam Coral (possibly for revenge, partially because they may be competing to find the treasure or eye first).
Golden Sea Monster: Which pirate doesn't adventure for the chance to claim countless treasure? Forsaking everything for the sake of gold, filling the empty void in their heart.
Pirate Spotter: His self-proclaimed title of "spotter" always gave him a sense of pride. That was until he encountered that fearful captain of the Sea Monster.
Pirate Gunner: This sharpshooter only wishes to further improve her marksmanship on the open sea.
The first mate’s actions and desire to wake the captain up parallels the actions of Jack’s bad side towards his good side, as the bad side slowly gains more freedom and control, with the 2 merging by the end of his deductions.
Pirate Spotter being with a different crew but forced to join parallels the Church forcing Kreacher to give them his orphanage, as well as how he has to stay on their good side as they are shown willing to have him arrested on theft charges to get him out of their way.
According to Golden Sea Monster, he is searching for “countless treasures”. This may be where the COA 1 trailer comes in, as it mentions “somewhere in the world… are treasures buried that all desire”. This would line up with the 1st stage of COA 1: Bottle Throwing Ceremony, which is likely based on the real-life tradition that is meant to bring good luck and safe travel when a new ship is launched. The “treasure” that “all desire” is referring to the “eye”, which could be the reason everyone “desires” this “treasure” enough to go looking and fight over it. This would also mean everyone’s destination (that “somewhere in the world”) is R’lyeh, the last stage of COA 1.
R’lyeh is a sunken city in the Cthulhu Mythos where Cthulhu sleeps.
One of those I think that is looking for the eye is Madame Coral. The reason I say this is because (according to translations of other versions) her mind (or heart) fell to the abyss (in Chinese, it uses the same characters for abyss that are used in “Call of the Abyss”).
We know she was freed from her cage based on Deep Sea Turtle commenting on her walking “alone on the seabed”. Clownfish was likely the one to free her, as she mentions it “does its best to get everything ready and to accompany her” when “Madame Coral is reborn from the seabed”.
I believe Madame Coral could’ve also been looking for the eye based on Deep Sea Turtle and Lava Tortoise. Deep Sea Turtle implies she asked him about a certain “treasure”. This can’t be the conch shell, as she doesn’t need it to bring anyone back (Pirate Captain isn’t dead. She was the only one that had to be “reborn”). Lava Tortoise adds that this “ultimate treasure” was sunk “long long ago”. The conch shell was sent to the ocean’s depths with Caged Butterfly, so it wouldn’t have been “long long ago”. From what we know about R’lyeh (as it is really old according to the original Cthuhlu mythos), and how it is called “ultimate”, this is likely the treasure the COA 1 trailer is referring to, the one “all desire”, aka the eye.
Deep Sea Turtle: During his long life he has never heard of any treasure, nor has he seen a woman as beautiful as her, she who walks alone on the seabed.
Lava Tortoise: To find the ultimate treasure that sunk there long long ago, he searches endlessly in the volcano on the seabed for Madame Coral's gem. He hasn't even noticed his shell beginning to expand and crack due to the lava.
Lava Tortoise mentions he was searching volcanos on the seabed for this treasure. The mention of “volcanoes” combined with the “coral” referenced by Madame Coral I believe can be used to further connect to R’lyeh and the idea she was looking for the eye. R’lyeh is said to be located deep down in the Pacific Ocean, with a number of coordinates putting it at the Pacific oceanic pole of inaccessibility (the furthest point from any landmass). One of the coordinates puts it about 10 days from the real island of Pohnpei (Ponape), which in the Cthulhu mythos had the “Ponape Scripture” (a text that described Cthulhu). Pohnpei is a volcanic island surrounded by an outer barrier reef (connecting to the “volcano” and “coral” mentions).
Also, the fact Lava Tortoise calls it a “gem” could connect with Parasite, who makes a comment about the “eye-shaped gems” in his skin. I discuss this more in my COA 2 analysis, but the eye in Infected looks very similar to the evil eye in Evil Eye Host. There’s also how Infected warns against staring at the eye for too long, which connects to how Margaretha was corrupted and became Vile Blossom after seeing the evil eye open.
Infected: Those red eyes really make one's hair stand on end, so don't stare at them for too long.
Parasite: These eye-shaped gems make his skin glitter... they are so shiny!
I mentioned earlier that Blacktip was fighting the captain. I think this may connect to Madam Coral having Lava Tortoise look for the eye. It’s possible she’s trying to compete with Golden Sea Monster to see who can find the eye first. This would go along with the COA 1 trailer which talks about this journey for this specific treasure as a competition or race. I also think, due to their proximity to the abyss, along with Madame Coral, both Lava Tortoise and Sharkbite gradually become corrupted. This would go along with how Deep Sea Turtle becomes Lava Tortoise, or how Sharkbite is mentioned not to die but “faded away”. This latter one can connect with Pricking, who is also being corrupted and is trying to use pain to “remind herself not to be consumed”, as she even adds “but how long could she possibly last? Maybe the abyss is where she truly belongs”. I think this exact thing may be happening to Sharkbite, which we know can happen as Madame Coral’s mind apparently already fell to the abyss.
Blacktip: His body is covered in scars from his fights with the terrifying captain. They regarded each other as mortal enemies.
Sharkbite: The old soldier is not dead, but has just faded away. But before his time, he found a woman worth protecting.
Pricking: She tried to use pain to remind herself not to be consumed by the corrosiveness of the enemy’s mark, but how long can she possibly last? Perhaps the abyss is where she truly belongs.
Another group I believe looking for the eye involves Kurt and Helena.
Kurt as Voyage mentions he wants to “uncover the mysteries of the abyss” and thus, to do this, “embarks on a voyage”. This “voyage” is likely the one Helena as Last Vacation and Good Old Times “blindly embarks” on, as she didn’t “check the destination of the vessel” she was boarding. She even adds she doesn’t know “what kind of voyage awaits her”.
Voyage: If there are times when you long to uncover the mysteries of the abyss, why not put on your backpack and embark on a voyage!
Lost: Life is a long voyage. As long as you have a lighthouse in one's heart, you won't lose your way.
Last Vacation: You should always check the destination of the vessel you are about to board. It is doubtful Helena knows what kind of a voyage awaits her.
Good Old Times: When recollecting the past, you can learn from past mistakes, for example, don't blindly embark on a journey.
From looking at Jack’s 2 Osprey skins as well as Tracy’s Shipbuilder skin (who based on how she isn’t called a pirate and has no pirate symbols on her, I think she could’ve been with Kurt and Helena), they likely encountered Golden Sea Monster.
Fog Osprey: You would never want to encounter it, or him, when a fog appears on the open sea or envelops a port.
Red Osprey: Within the dense fog at the harbor an inauspicious color will sometimes arise.
Shipbuilder: It is necessary to have a reliable ship mechanic on a long voyage to ensure the power generator runs smoothly. You never know when you might need to outrun a sea monster.
Shipbuilder mentions a “sea monster” which is the same term Pirate Spotter uses in reference to Golden Sea Monster.
Fog Osprey and Red Osprey warn about an encounter with “it, or him” at a harbor or on a foggy “route” (according to other translations). The dangerous “it” or “him” that people “would never want to encounter” matches with how the captain is referred to as “terrifying” (or it could be referring to his first mate, who we know is willing to kill to get what he wants).
A bit more of a side note, but the “fog” could be a reference to Pirates of the Caribbean, as fog always seemed to accompany the Black Pearl wherever it went. This includes near the beginning of the movie when it attacks Port Royal, or even at the very start when young Elizabeth sees it pass by right before the other British sailors spot the wreckage of the ship the Black Pearl destroyed. There’s a good chance Pirates of the Caribbean is somewhat of a basis for COA 1 based on the similar stories (pirates, cursed treasure, different groups of pirates, etc…), as well as similar characters (Pirate Captain and Golden Sea Monster seem fairly similar to Davy Jones from the 2nd and 3rd movies).
Osprey’s mention of a “route” could also point to this happening during COA 1’s 2nd stage: New Route.
Navigator is one of those helping the captain reach the treasure “all desire”. Translations of other versions mention (something along the lines of how) he has a map in his eye that “hides a secret many seek”. The part about something “many seek” matches up the treasure referenced in the COA 1 trailer. I think the reason he has this map (as well as why his skin is blue unlike the others, with a supernatural eye) could connect to Pirate Doctor, who in other versions is referred to as a witch doctor. Other versions seem to have her description say no one could hold their own in front of her, a witch doctor, not even the captain. It’s possible she’s the reason Navigator became what he is and got that map. Maybe it could relate to whatever is in Emily’s Pirate Flask accessory, which apparently isn’t “ordinary medicinal liquor”.
Navigator: Even though he only has one eye, he still sees what others wish to remain hidden; things that others long to know.
Pirate Doctor: A ship full of pirates and there is not one among them who can keep it together in her presence, not even the captain.
Pirate Flask: This flagon contains no ordinary medicinal liquor.
Both Navigator and Pirate Doctor even have the same dark marks under their eyes, which no one else has.
If she did help lead them to R’lyeh, even if it was via Navigator and possibly being how he got his special eye, this could parallel Tia Dalma from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. She helps Jack throughout the movies, and even brought Barbossa back from death. Barbossa even had a curse that made him undead, which can parallel Navigator’s zombie-ish skin color.
The next stage after New Route is Storm Circle. This matches up with how the COA 1 trailer says “intertwined and colliding dreams… will turn into wings and survive the most terrible storms”. This same line can also help imply Kurt’s group did encounter Golden Sea Monster based on the “intertwined and colliding dreams” part. Right before this line, the trailer even says “No one ever doubts their direction”. This line seems to almost perfectly reference Kurt’s Lost skin description: “Life is a long voyage. As long as you have a lighthouse in one's heart, you won't lose your way”. Another line from the trailer, “In front of them… even the sharpest wind and rain will become dull”, also sounds very similar to Lost’s description (and his passion to encounter the abyss).
This stage could also be where Navigator’s Pirate Compass accessory comes in, based on the line about how “compasses can save lives”.
The storm could imply they are getting close to R’lyeh. This may be when Oar of the Abyss and Ghost Blue Helmsman get involved. Oar of the Abyss states it is the reason the ship was led to the abyss. Ghost Blue Helmsman mentions the helmsman of the ship merged with the rudder, which is something that helps steer the ship, and thus also connects to the idea they are being brought to R’lyeh. The one behind all this is likely Poseidon’s Crown and Poseidon, who “rules the oceans and lakes”. This ties in with the COA 1 trailer, which says at the very beginning “A sea as calm as a lake”. Poseidon’s Crown is likely meant to parallel Cthulhu, who actually sleeps in R’lyeh in the Cthulhu mythos (and there’s how R’lyeh being underwater could relate to how Hastur’s skin is called “Poseidon”).
Ghost Blue Helmsman: The crew's fear toward the helmsman after he merged with the rudder almost surpassed that of their fear toward the captain.
Oar of the Abyss: No one knows the true reason as to why it lurks here, the one who brought a ship and its crew to the unknown abyss.
Poseidon’s Crown: There is no mercy in God's heart. That is the very reason why God is God.
Poseidon: He rules the oceans and lakes. His fury will rouse monsters from the abyss that will destroy everything.
It’s possible before Oar of the Abyss and Ghost Blue Helmsman get involved that some of those aboard the ship may have essentially summoned (or called) them. I’m referring to Joker as Singer and Mr. Pink, and then Emily as Rebirth. Joker’s 2 skins mention singing a song for “spirits”, while Rebirth mentions “praying to the ancient gods hidden in the dark for miracles”. The fact she talks about “miracles” could imply they were in danger, which could refer to the “storm circle” stage, especially as she also does mention the “raging tides”.
To add to this, Singer and Mr. Pink both have the Yellow Sign (Hastur’s sign) on his hat, while Emily’s hat has the same symbol that can be found on Fiona’s hood and key. In fact, Kurt’s and Helena’s skins also have this same mark.
The last stage of COA 1 is R’lyeh. The captain and his crew were brought there by Oar of the Abyss and Ghost Blue Helmsman, possibly because of Poseidon’s Crown. Hastur’s Glutton and Carnival (which is called “Feast” in other versions) could hint towards what one of his purposes for bringing them there was (such as corruption). This would tie in with Vera’s Manners skin, who references a “feast” (the name of one of Hastur’s skins as I just said), or to the fate of Pricking (who’s being corrupted). This stage lines up with the line from the COA 1 trailer: “At the end of the journey you will find a treasure, But there is still evil lingering at every corner!”. This line comes right after the one about encountering storms.
Glutton: A true predator doesn't know what being satisfied means. Beware of his gaze.
Carnival: A distant banquet visitor and one of Hastur's abyss incarnations.
Manners: Wearing magnificent clothing to a feast is just good manners. She was more interested in the pursuit of a pure fragrance, with which she could transcend these vulgar affairs.
When they arrive at R’lyeh, they shipwreck. We know this based on Emily’s Holy Angel skin, which mentions a ship sinking, as well as Lucky Guy’s Sketch of a Shipwreck, which shows a ship being sunk by something with tentacles. There’s even an unreleased B-Tier skin for Lucky Guy called Shipwreck. There’s also Emily’s Pirate Flag accessory, which based on the mention of “captured land” could imply they did indeed reach R’lyeh.
Sketch of a Shipwreck: It is impossible to visualize that strange event by simply looking at this rough sketch.
Holy Angel: A radiant angel will sometimes appear in the illusions of sailors whose ship has sunk and lead them back to tranquility.
Pirate Flag: Haha, the pirate flag should be planted at the highest point of the captured land!
Emily’s Flaming Angel mentions leaving behind a “splendor far surpassing that of the sunset glow”. This could also possibly parallel Pirates of the Caribbean.
During the 3rd movie, they have to go to Davy Jones’ Locker to rescue Jack Sparrow. This is essentially Davy Jones’ favorite punishment for those that try to cheat him. Davy Jones’s Locker is also an idiom for the bottom of the sea, for shipwrecks and sailors drowning. The bottom of the sea part could connect to Madame Coral who, with the other fish related skins, are on the “seabed”. The part about shipwrecks and drowned sailors would connect to those that shipwreck on R’lyeh. The fact some of these people are “pirates” would connect to the pirates that arrive at Davy Jones’ Locker in the movie, both Jack who is trapped there until he’s rescued, or the others that go there to rescue him. Especially the latter, as their ship wrecks when they arrive at Davy Jones’ Locker and have to use Jack’s (which Davy Jones left for Jack as part of his punishment, as it was in the sand and couldn’t actually sail at first).
Back to Flaming Angel though, her mention of “sunset” relates to how, in the movie, the way to escape the Locker was to capsize the ship at sundown. Once this happened, they would return to the living world at sunrise, at which time there was a green flash. This “green flash” signaled the returned of a soul from the land of the dead (aka Davy Jones’ Locker). This flash could parallel Flaming Angel’s mention of her “splendor” at sunset (combined with her name “flaming” angel).
Flaming Angel: If she soars on the horizon, she'll leave behind a splendor far surpassing that of the sunset glow.
Back to R’lyeh, this is where we know the eye is retrieved from. Based on the COA 1 trailer saying “One day… the journey will be forgotten. Even if there is only one person, who will reach the destination, no one ever doubts their directions”, it’s possible some of them won’t leave the island.
The part about the “journey” being “forgotten” could relate to how I mentioned some are corrupted once they arrive here when I discussed Glutton, Carnival, Manners, and Pricking. This could connect to Lucky Guy’s Shipwreck skin. We know it’s tied to Pirate Captain and his crew as he has the same anchor symbol that is on Jack’s first mate skins and on Leo’s Pirate Captain skin. The reason I think this could tie to possibly being corrupted is because of the similar color scheme of Lucky Guy’s outfit to Poseidon’s Crown, but especially because of the trident symbol on Lucky Guy’s shirt. This trident even seems to have what looks like a tentacle wrapped around it. This matches with Poseidon’s Crown (and Poseidon) as both have tridents on their backs and heads (and because of Hastur’s tentacles).
The fact it says “no one ever doubts their direction” right after mentioning “reaching the destination” could imply Kurt was one of those to reach and retrieve the eye. The fact him and Helena, as well as Emily as Rebirth, all had the same mark on them could imply they all managed to do this.
From Poseidon’s description saying he “roused monsters from the abyss”, that could connect to how all of Hastur’s skins get involved as they approach R’lyeh (Oar of the Abyss, Ghost Blue Helmsman, Glutton, and Carnival). It could also be what he does once everyone reaches R’lyeh. This is where I think Naib as Infected and Parasite gets involved. As I discussed earlier, I think the eye in him is where the actual evil eye comes from.
Lava Tortoise was also looking for the eye for Madame Coral, so it’s possible him and Madame Coral get involved somehow as well. Compared to his “Deep Sea Turtle” skin, his Lava Tortoise skin, as it’s called a tortoise rather than a turtle, could imply he went on land (aka R’lyeh), as tortoises spend most of their time on land (while turtles are mostly underwater).
From here, I think this is where Pirate Shipwright comes in. She talks about building a ship from “seaweed and coral”. The reason she’d be making a new ship could tie in with how their previous one got wrecked. The fact she mentions no “captain with their wits about them would dare risk such an endeavor” could imply the captain and his crew, plus Kurt and Helena, survived, while the part implying the captain may not be sane could either relate to them being at R’lyeh (and so close to the abyss) or to his state of mind since he lost Caged Butterfly.
The fact the ship is made from “coral” I wonder if that could imply a relation to Madame Coral. Her body was said to have merged with the coral afterall. She could also be involved with R’lyeh consiering her mind was said to have fallen to the abyss.
With a ship, they’d be able to leave R’lyeh, which would lead to the beginning of COA 2. This ship made from seaweed and coral could also be the “centuries old ship” mentioned during the COA 2 trailer, while those onboard could’ve been the predessors to the expedition referenced by Optical Mirror.
I did my best trying to figure out COA 1. This is my 3rd time starting over and trying to revise it to be more correct. It’s taken me longer than any of the other COAs. So please don’t be too harsh. I do hope this was at least somewhat enjoyable for everyone!
Phael was a little more out of control prior to becoming head of the Council, beyond studying and arguing with anybody at Blackwater, he often caused general chaos while on escapades with Ziel. He also spent time trying to reverse the bad decisions his father made - which he was surprisingly successful at.
Ziel, being Phael’s best friend, usually got dragged into his escapades and unwillingly caused a bit of chaos himself sometimes. He read and studied often and far beyond what was necessary, and tutored the younger members of his village. Always a favorite among the children, he sometimes gave them audience to unique beautiful displays of magic. When his brother wasn’t off on official messenger business, he enjoyed spending time with him.
Haryk was a scrivener, who for some reason also had vast knowledge of chemistry. So needless to say, he occasionally took on tasks that required such knowledge. When that wasn’t keeping him busy, he enjoyed taking to the woods to hunt.
Ren spent long days and nights studying to become an architect. Not understanding how to give himself a break, he also liked to create and solve puzzles, riddles, and anything that offered a good challenge.
Ceja comes from a family of high standing and connections to Blackwater. Her family tried hard to control her and decide her path in life, which led to her becoming very good at hiding behind a facade and getting away with doing what she pleased... which involved a lot of traveling, learning to play various instruments, and spending time with Xander.
Lyre was the local introverted writer of his community. He wrote stories, poems, songs, you name it. In his spare time he enjoyed helping with the care of animals.
Xander, like Ceja, comes from a family of high standing. However, he got on with his expected roles fine. On the flip side, he created a hush-hush “community” of wizards who worked to ensure humans lost or trapped in Arishore would be able to leave safely. His favorite pastime was hanging out with Ceja.
Tagged by @etjwrites , thanks! I love doing this tag as well as reading the random snippets from other projects ~
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Words: Hide, Betray, Wrestle, Lucky, Silver
Hide: “How long were you planning to hide the fact that you are feeling unwell?”
Betray: It would have been a shame to betray herself like that.
Wrestle: Nothin!
Lucky: “Well…” He started again, after some silence. “If you try it alone again, you won’t make it out of Haladavar alive. Nobody gets that lucky twice.”
Silver: Something silver sparkled, sliding down the cantle of the saddle, and he quickly leaned over and snatched it before it fell.
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New words: Smooth, soft, red, twist, wood,
Tagging: @babyreeds , @nightmares-and-fireflies , @erinoddly , @trickster-writes , etc. etc.
Scarlette didn’t think fast enough to hide her laughter as Phael flailed, losing both his feet in the deep snow. She was still pointing to the correct path at least a body’s length away from where he had stepped.
The wizard turned to look at her, momentarily regaining balance as he met her gaze. She opened her mouth, stuck between an apology and another bout of laughter, but a swift yet gentle pull of magic sent her straight into the drift at her feet.
She fell through like a rock, sending the soft snow flying up around her. The wizard’s laughter met her ears as she struggled to sit up, and she became still as she looked up at him.
The color in his cheeks from the cold only deepened with his laughter, his eyes squinting up towards the sunny sky as he poorly attempted to cover his mouth. In that moment, everything about him seemed bright and... happy. And in that moment, she couldn’t recall if she had ever seen him genuinely smile or laugh like this.
After the initial shock of having magic touch her, Scarlette laughed along with him, eventually catching a look from him that seemed to say you know I wouldn’t intentionally hurt you with my magic .
***
These moments are some of my favorite in COA 1. Little by little, Phael’s coldness and hostility towards Scarlette fades and transforms into a sort of understanding, and eventually friendship.
COA taglist: @etjwrites @alwolfesblog @project-nightshade @bexminx
So I’ve been eyeballing parts of COA that may need tweaking, and I noticed that in the short time that Scarlette is held at Blackwater against her will, Ceja verbally threatens her like 12 times (I counted). Even more than Phael, actually. Way more.
But the last threat (above) from Ceja is when everything begins to shift. Because what she’s really saying is:
Don’t hurt my friend. Don’t hurt our leader. Don’t hurt our region. Don’t make life here any harder than it has been.
The loyalty the Council members have isn’t born from fear. Phael is more than a leader - he’s their friend. And together, they are like a family.
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COA taglist: @etjwrites , @alwolfesblog , @project-nightshade , @bexminx
“You’re tripping over your words because you want to thank me for helping? Phael, I know you’re not one to express these type of things, but it isn’t necessary. You know very well I’d do these things for you no matter what the circumstance.”
Tagging: @alwolfesblog , @the-moving-finger-writes , @babyreeds , etc. etc.
