#wctd.misc

[veneritia]

Hey and happy STS! If you participate in writing games I'd love to hear a little more about the Ill Omens ... how big of a role do they play in your storytelling? Are they the same as Bad Omens or different in some way? Could you share the difference between Bad and Ill omens if there is one?

Happy STS and thank you for the ask!!!

The "ill omens" part is, honestly, up to interpretation. As much as Fenice and much of society internalize her being an omen-bringer/harbinger of misfortune, much of that reputation is really rooted more in superstition than it is fact.

When the Trinity came together to fashion humanity from the earth, life-giving Meidther used a drop of her own blood to bring Their creations to life, and in doing so blessed them with a fraction of Their own divine power. This was what the magi called arcanum, though to the layperson it was known as simply magic. Though only few would be able to wield this power beyond the simplest of spells, everyone that walked the earth and drew breath had some measure of magic running through their veins, for it was proof that the goddess gave them life, proof of their creation at the hands of gods. But in rare occurrences there are those who would be born without that divine blessing of magic, and in their weak and sputtering wails would soon perish in its lack. Deadborne, those pitiful creatures were called. The ones born already destined for death. Incomplete creations, some called them. Divine mistakes. That was until enough people realized that the birth of a deadborne oft times preceded some great change, a disturbance in the status quo, and from then on decided to call them something different. Omen-Bringers. Harbingers of Misfortune. The birth and death of a deadborne spelled certain calamity in the future.

-- When Comes the Dawn, Chapter 5: Pitiful Creatures

The superstition goes that a deadborne in the family usually means some great change/upheaval to come in the future. Kind of like a human canary in a coal mine haha. Whether one would interpret that as an "ill omen" is really up to the person.

(Not sure about the question of bad vs ill omens though? At the very least I use them to mean the same thing).

Thanks again for the ask!

[veneritia]

a little glimpse into my planning for act 2

[veneritia]

Your mystery question is here :)

🌧Rain: What is one thing that can immediately ruin your character's mood?

For Nike it's his in-laws.

Actually, you can add his wife in there too, it's a two-for-one deal.

[veneritia]

im procrastinating so hard on writing chapter 10

[veneritia]

Tell me more about Fenice?

What sort of things does she like and dislike?

Fenice is a walking impossibility whose continued existence is both a source of marvel and dread (mostly dread) for anybody that comes into her presence.

She dislikes

Swimming. Most athletic activities actually, but swimming especially. She'll start panicking the second the water level gets above her chest

Bugs

Small talk (she has 0 practice in this so she just never knows what to do)

ghosts

Dancing (which is a shame because she's a pretty good dancer)

Healers/Medicine

She likes

Sewing, embroidery, really any handicraft

Reading, specifically history

Puzzles, boardgames, cards

Taking long walks

Honey fritters

[veneritia]

Hello!!! Saw you on writeblr live and I wanted to hear more about your court room set up. What kind of positions are there? Does your mc have any or are they trying to get one? How many times are they heled up by bureaucratic nonsense?

Hello and thank you for the ask!!

There a whole bunch of members of government in the Aetierian empire, but the main ones by order of rank are:

1. The Vasilier & the Vasili

AKA the ruler and their primary spouse who hold ultimate power within the empire

2. The Synedrion

the advisory and governing body that serve the Vasilier and can be further divided into the Archontes and the Curia.

2a. The Archontes consist of the 6 hightest ranking magistrates that stay in the capital city and oversee the business of the entire empire and is led by the Eparch of Kaelstanopolis (the others are the archons Nomothetis, Xenomothetis, Thesauros, Polemos, and Inquisitio).

2b. The Curia on the other hand are made up of the offices that oversee various regions of the empire under the Vasilier's orders are comprised of Praetors (governing imperial dominions), below them are the Vicarii (governing Dioceses), and below them Governors (governing provinces). Though if the full Synedrion is called to a meeting in the capital, only the Praetors and Vicarii attend.

2c. The Evgenii - though not officially a part of either the Archontes or the Curia, the Evgenii, which consists of the 8 great houses that supported the first emperor, have a permanent seat of the Synedrion, though their voting power is smaller.

3. The Kaisarim

Kaisarim is the title bestowed onto an imperial scion when they are given control over a province. They're in a strange position in imperial heirarchy because technically they are of similar rank to a governor, however their imperial blood makes them at least equal or higher in rank to Praetors.

See also: The Aetieriana: Imperial & Noble Titles

The protagonist, Fenice, is the firstborne child between the Vasilier Dantalion and his primary spouse the Vasilie Titania of Taul, and thus at her birth was given the rank and style of "Imperessa" and "Most Gracious High Lady". These aren't her only titles by the way, her full rank and style are much *much* longer, and it'll continue to get longer as the story progresses. Despite all this, there are still many times that Fenice finds herself stonewalled by bureaucracy because there are plenty of people that don't want her gaining any power. The last thing this ever does is discourage her. (Her life is, after all, on the line)

[veneritia]

WHEN COMES THE DAWN IS SUCH A BADASS TITLE

HAPPY WRITEBLR LIVE!

Can you tell me about your worldbuilding?

thank you <3333

the story primarily takes place in the greaet empire of Aetier, which is loosely based off of the Byzantine Empire (in a world where they remained a superpower instead of slowly getting chipped away by everybody else) but takes some inspiration from the Roman and Ottoman empires as well.

one of the things that sets Aetier apart from its neighbors is how its ruling family--the House of Aetier--handles its succession. where other crowns are passed down by laws of primogeniture, in Aetier, succession follows one rule: survival of the fittest. Or, more accurately, "last man standing." Colloquially known as 'the Agonia', what once was considered a competition of skills between imperial heirs to prove their worth has now been warped into a deadly game of cloak and dagger intrigue, where one can either win an empire or lose their head in an execution. Siblings rarely surive once the crown rests upon the winner's head, but there are exceptions.

the protagonist, Fenice vi Aetier, hopes to be one of those exceptions. (Or better yet, be the ultimate winner herself)

[veneritia]

🔥 and 💗 for an OC of your choice from @samplewriting

Thank you @samplewriting for the ask!!

🔥 — Something they’re passionate about

For Fenice it's history. Specifically her own family history, but when your lineage is one of conquerors and kingmakers, both family and world history tend to bleed into the same page.

For Nike it's art. He likes sketching things, has filled journals upon journals with half-finished drawings and beautiful masterpieces. He's the best at drawing still-life or scenery, but his favorite pieces are the ones of people in motion. Many of his sketches are of his family and friends just living. It's a shame most of his journals ended up being destroyed in the war.

💗 — Someone they care about deeply

For Nike it's his half-sister, Cassandra. Sisi he calls her, short for Cassie (which in turn was short for Cassandra) because when she was just learning how to babble she had a hard time pronouncing the hard 'C'. He's practically helped raise her, and when his stepmother died, he promised her that he would do everything in his power to keep his siblings safe. And with the exception of Isandros, who might as well be an entire world away and half-way to death's door, Cassandra was the only family Nike had left.

For Fenice, the person she cared about the most is dead and gone. Even if she is able to see ghosts, none of it mattered if the one she wanted to see most refused to show themselves.

OC Ask Game 📩