GENRE: fantasy
POV: third limited
STATUS: beginning third draft
THEMES: duty vs desire, response to failure, love while having a difference of opinions, breaking down unspoken agreements or assumed understandings
WARNINGS: mild violence, character death
The responsibility of leadership is thrust onto Rylee Ma when Tyren, Ermyre's Minister and Rylee's best friend, dies in the midst of war. Between her grief and her struggle with her new position, Rylee is left wide open to Riya the First, one of the deities who created their world, offering a path to her greatest desire.
Tyren Cator, however, is not gone forever. Kept on Aeon by Lady Amara, the inventor of the human race with her own agenda, Tyren has to figure how to accomplish their goal in ensuring world peace while no more than a ghost.
MORE INFO & UPDATES FROM LAST DRAFT UNDER THE CUT!
General Info
Setting
Aeon: a planet tidally locked with its sun. One half remains facing the sun year-round, creating incredibly hot temperatures. The other half sees no direct sunlight at all. A staple weather effect of the Host is the consistent convectional rainfall near the equator every day, which also serves as the basis for monitoring time. The people of Aeon live in a small section on the Host, but near the Unseen.
The Host: a general name for where people live on Aeon and the side of Aeon facing the sun. It is the physical realm, the place where people are born and die.
The Unseen: also known as the “grayscale realm”, it is the afterlife for those who led dishonourable or regular lives. It is the backside of Aeon, opposing the Host. To enter, one must be granted passage by one of the twin monsters: Vare and Myrau, guarding the East and West towers, respectively. The East is volcanic; there is a large fissure separating the Host and the Unseen. Following that is primarily a volcanic belt before the Unseen. On the other hand, the West is stormy; where the Unseen and the Host meet, there are incredible tempests and acidic rain. It’s mostly ocean, with a few islands. The North and South poles are uninhabited and do not need a guardian.
Noea: a secondary planet orbiting Aeon. The deities originate from Noea. The deceased from Aeon deemed “worthy” by the Spirit Lord are brought to live here, as well. All residents live in one city.
The Holding Well: Noea’s greatest waterfall. The source of its water is unknown, and the water falls from an indeterminable height into a large circular pit. The warm temperatures evaporate enough of the water to prevent it from overflowing, resulting in a very humid atmosphere. It is also the source of the deities’ energy and consciousness.
The Place of Origin: the point of connection on Aeon to Noea. It was first discovered by Riya, after she drowned in the Holding Well and fell to Aeon.
Characters
Rylee Ma: The protagonist. Wholly unprepared to perform as leader, she has to decide what takes precedence: finishing the work Tyren began, ensuring the survival of Ermyre, or her own desire to bring Tyren back.
Tyren Cator: The deuteragonist. By a twist of luck, Tyren is kept on Aeon after death and their ambition lives on. With a bit of cunning, they manage to unearth secrets from Lady Amara and use it to their advantage.
Riya the First: Supporting character. A deity who is of an unknown relation to Lady Amara, she took offense to one of Lady Amara’s previous actions. She intends to interfere with Lady Amara’s duties until Lady Amara backs down.
Lady Amara: Supporting character. Currently the ruler of the Unseen, Lady Amara is in the midst of a feud with Riya the First. She plans to use Tyren to get back at Riya’s scheming.
Spirit Lord (Frélik): Supporting character. The ruler of all deities. Currently missing.
Nina Paumi: Supporting character. A young Ermyian teenager. Technically the new Minister of Ermyre, but is in the care of Rylee while underage.
Changes from the last draft
Name Changes
The Odes ➜ Quiet Terms
Rylee Arnsvelt ➜ Rylee Ma
Maril [unknown] ➜ Maril Kete
the Palace City ➜ HOME
Character Cuts
Mira (Rylee/Tyren’s deity)
Bendaïora (Mira’s brother)
Adan (Rylee’s elder brother)
Janice (councilmember)
some others that still exist in theory but probably won’t be written into the WIP
Misc. Changes
There are two present-time POV characters: Rylee and Tyren. There will also be a couple flashbacks told from Riya’s POV. Riya and Amara also play a larger role in the story, filling in the absence left by Mira and Bendaïora and some. I’m still working out the kinks in terms of which plot points I want to keep and which I want to change.
TAGLIST incoming!
It’s been ages since I last used this tag list, so I have no idea who’s still around and who’s changed urls and so on. So! This is the last time I will be tagging you if you do not let me know your interest otherwise. In other words: if you’re still interested, please send me a message (ask, comment, tag in rb, dm) saying you’d still like to be on the tag list, else this will be the last time you’re tagged. Thanks for sticking around with me thus far!
And, of course, if you are interested and want to be added, please let me know!
do you remember when cora picked you as the heir? i was jealous, so jealous; i couldn’t believe my luck, for it was always you i lost to. i would redo that day over, if i could. this weight does not belong on my shoulders.
- the things i could say, and the things i could not / vii.
the odes excerpt | ominous statements by throwaway characters pt 1
transcript & tag list under the cut!
The nurse pauses. “Perhaps you do not realize this, but you are Ermyre’s lifeline. Our heart and blood. Knowing you are here, saving those we cannot and protecting us with your other Ideal should worst come to worst, is good enough.”
3 excerpts of a conversation between tyren cator & amanan
transcript & tag list below the cut. beware spoilers, lol.
clip one:
“I will always be human,” Tyren cuts in, firm. “I will always be human, so long as I have my memories, and my love, and—”
“Yes, yes, you’re right. That’s my point. You have the physical form of a deity, now. You have all of our powers, our gifts. But you think with the mind of a human. And that is why you won’t understand why I did what I did. We—we have a different society than you did, Tyren. And you won’t—you won’t understand any of that, you won’t belong among the Palace City, if you don’t accept that you’ve died. If you—if you want any of this, you must assimilate.”
“I don’t want to assimilate,” Tyren blurts, then stops. Quieter, they say, “But you didn’t assimilate. Did you? You didn’t.”
clip two:
“Isn’t relevant? You’ve taken me away from the place you want me to assimilate into... for what? Finding a foreign god? A deity that doesn’t even have power over his own subjects, nor any influence on the world I come from?”
Amanan laughs and leans forward. In a playful, conspiring tone, they say, “Because I’m the only one who would listen to him. Everyone else—everyone else we grew up with, us founders—has a... grudge, of sorts, against the Spirit Lord. All for different reasons, of course.”
“And you don’t?”
They hum, tilting their face to face the sky. “I don’t think I could hold a grudge even if I wanted to.”
tag list (hmu to be added/removed): @livvywrites @quilloftheclouds @bigmoodword @mvcreates @thewordreaper @lady-redshield-writes @half-explored @surroundedbypearls @randomly-aware-memories @dove-actually @the-violet-writer @scribe-the-write-thing @isanyonetoknow @atelierwriting @omniawrites @dabiyyah
the odes excerpt | i told you, don’t trust the deities
transcript & tag list under the cut! no, the neon has nothing to do with the excerpt, i just thought my edit looked pretty
“My motivations have no affect on yours,” she says.
“No?” He sounds vaguely amused. “I’m sure it does if your actions are trying to get my sponsor killed.”
Mira snorts. “Worry not; I’m only trying to get my sponsor killed.”
“And Yara is just collateral damage?” Barro’s voice is light in contrast to the topic. Mira feels the guilt weighing down on her, but she has come to terms with her plans long ago.
“Only if you fail to keep her alive, yes.”
tag list (hmu to be added/removed): @livvywrites @quilloftheclouds @bigmoodword @mvcreates @thewordreaper @lady-redshield-writes @half-explored @surroundedbypearls @randomly-aware-memories @dove-actually @the-violet-writer @scribe-the-write-thing @isanyonetoknow @atelierwriting @omniawrites @dabiyyah
