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https://youtu.be/efnJdmdsJEs

Ashen Skies.

Picking up from the events of Jewel of the Skies, but the story follows the Belisian prince-in-exile as he flees the destruction of his kingdom. His father is dead - buried beneath the rubble of Olysium - and the Hearthguard has failed, but a certain spymaster managed to survive and spirit away the rest of the royal family to seek what refuge they can in the wildernesses of the sky. The prince however desires revenge above all else and will fight tooth and nail to reclaim his rightful throne, forging alliances, gathering resources and building an army while dodging death at the hands of assassins, mercenaries, pirates and traitors. The exiled prince walks a dark and dangerous path and the spymaster will have his hands full trying to keep him alive throughout this quest of vengeance.
During his flight he ends up in the Priestdom of Leongarde.

The law of the land is strict here and life harsh when one does not obey the holy tenents or if one happens to be a mage. It is a mixed bag, as there could be potential allies there and considerable forces, were it not that they only move on the commands of the High Priest.
With Belisio's capital lost to Vaim and the whispers in the streets uttering of dissatisfaction with the current rule, it seems the refugees have landed in a literal minefield with ticking bombs.
Will they survive and find aid?
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Whilst it was meant as a RPG for TheMerlin and myself, should anyone want to participate please pm me or theMerlin for backstory/approval.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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Well it took me a while, but I finally posted.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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@Neianna86 how the heck do you write so fast?
Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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I see my characters reacting. I can hear them in my head. It's like I'm playing a movie in my head and try to put it as eloquently as I can to paper, though I am no Tolkien or Stephen King.
I don't focus on mistakes I just write it all out.
After that I go over it slowly trying to pick up potential weird sentences or errors I have made (though Word doesn't pick up on everything) I like setting a sort of background scene in my mind.
Like the first scene we flit through a dream, whilst the second is more firmly set within the world and even then I afterwards go...should have described it more...(laughs I am never satisfied...Tolkien spoiled me).

Also seen far too many movies and good series and go...hmm...something like that.
Series like Rome, Les Miserables, Bleak House, Spartacus and The Borgias that go....yes f*ck your character how can we go from 'Miserable' to 'Never expect happiness ever again'. Or how should that conversation have gone down...and then I hear them, I see the figures move and the scene starts playing on itself. Granted sometimes it is stuck...or I pause it, to catch up. But soon enough it will continue playing.

Also I love those movies where less is more. Skeleton Key or the Bye, Bye man for example. The implication and hints are enough, the slow build up of the Funnel and how eventually you see it for what it is.

My main concern is always would my character do that? And how can I create a proper likeable character or terrible villain and to set them apart enough.
I mean a scolding from a morally grey character shouldn't be the same as that bone gnawing feeling of a villain, stripping one from one's very courage.

And if you really want my list of all time favourite scenes: warning potential spoilers ahead***

Babylon 5 (series):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCj-Rnd5SsA
Proper storytelling with a flair of truth from real life:
The British created a civil-service job in 1803 calling for a man to stand on the Cliffs of Dover with a spyglass. He was supposed to ring a bell if he saw Napoleon coming. The job was abolished in 1945."
The whole series is great and still untarnished by the current Hollywood standards.

The Count of Monte Cristo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DqstQsqaOw
The rest you must find out for yourself to watch the movie if you haven't one of my eternal favourites.

Rome (series):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuU_YSlDPPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8vwmdLFWmE
Brilliant conversations, again offering a background surrounding with a meaning: Gladiatorpit & a dark room one on one playing a strategy game. Similar in the fact that they both discuss strategies and politics, yet show the personalities so clearly.

And one of my favourite pieces from ASOIAF:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65MQRZKP4YY
A godfatherly promise...

Of course there are so much more, certain interactions that inspire me or well written music that just gets my juices going.
Which includes a good deal of metal I must admit hahaha...

But I shall try to describe Avelore more as we sail in. Which I'll put in the OOC for you to check and potentially pick and choose from.

Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Part 1. The Harbour and parts of the Undercity.
Leongarde’s closest harbour lay before them.
They could see the sailors work quickly to set the fins and side sails back and tie them up as they sailed towards the underbelly of the city.
In order to reach the harbour they had to sail into the opening within the rock.
This would lead them to the harbour that lay within, in a large cavern that opened up and brought them to the underlayer of the city.
There it would dock and they would be able to step off.
The dark rough stone opened up for them and as they sailed into the opening swallowed them whole, floating on the current within and the smooth movement of the tail-fan sail, which gentle movements offered them a soft thrust, allowing them to glide in with care.
The place seemed dark, damp and cold, but was lit partially by Sinderdust that lined the walls with wonderous glowing veins, as if they entered a living breathing creature.
From afar they could discern a the hint of a gentle drum, continuous and repetitive, before other differently coloured lights filled the tunnel as it widened and showed the crystal roof above them, almost like a glass ceiling of sorts. Then the doors of Avelore doomed up out of the darkness.
Two massive stone slabs that opened before them, groaning, complaining as the mechanism that was involved was put to work again. From the side the could hear the cracking of a whip, beating some unfortunate as they sailed out of the cavern and into the open harbour before them. The docks stretching out around them, in a circle, giving access to the underlayer of the city and the stairs to the higher levels.
The Harbour and the undercity was very much that, dark grimy alleyways and streets made up out of miners and mist harvesters homes. The sailors, women of low repute and prize fighters would drop in on alehouses and seedy taverns. Other less professions that were very much needed, but weren’t allowed to be noticed were leather tanners, dyers, slave houses & houses of pleasure.
Naturally there was a more refined part of the harbour, that’s where the rich went, it was named ‘the Pavilion’ and it was heavily guarded and very selective on who they allowed to enter. It also was run by the one of the most ruthless criminal groups to ‘serve’ the city.
If you looked further you could see young priests proselytised the mercy of the mother, being ignored by almost all whilst in an alleyway around the corner some cheeky little whore sucked the life out of a very content customer.
All in all the Harbour told anyone who paid attention that those living there were dealt a bad hand in life, theirs was a harsh life, where most of their earnings would be spend on forbidden pleasures and drink and it was clear by the few elderly moving about, that these people died young.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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Sorry I couldn't finish my post, it's cutting into my sleep. I'll try to finish it tomorrow.
Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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Alright, finished my post and changed a few bits too. Just to be clear, there are walls blocking view of the Harbour, right? I mean that's the impression I got, but I'll change it if I assumed incorrectly.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Yes, technically if you are at the market you cannot see the harbour as it is underneath you, (think huge caverns with an entrance which was the tunnel we sailed into to get to the Harbour which lies in a huge Caverns and hidden away and in order to get to the city you have to climb the stairs up to groundlevel into the market.

As the skies are literally floating landmasses/islands imagine a multilayered type of City with a huge excavated underground harbour.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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Ah okay, cool. I think I'm starting to get a clearer picture of Avelore now. Anyways, still a bit of a culture shock for our boy Corvo here. He's used to being surrounded by water. Literally. It's something I haven't gotten to mention in IC yet, but the royal palace in Olysium was smack dab in the middle of a big lake with the rest of the city sitting along the shoreline.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever really described it before. Did that ever come up in Jewel of the Skies?
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Nope as we didn't have much to go on. So I never bothered with describing it apart from the attack on part of it moment.
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Though if he figures out Sorsha is a water mage we'll be able to surround him with water all the time grin.

I basically turned this into Constantinople meets Venice
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Btw am planning to set the boys up as lower rank guards. Which means patrols and dealing with shocker 'murder'.
You have to climb station in order to get to see the High Priest.
Not to mention the fact that you'll have to survive the 'Enders'.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Will be finishing the post tonight, btw
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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Alright, I'll be waiting impatiently ;)

Nah jk, take your time. Sounds like you got a lot in store for us, but eh, what are 'Enders'?
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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You'll meet them soon enough
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by TheMerlin
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How ominous...
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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Well they're not the kind you want to meet outside after dark...
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Neianna86
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This is what the harbour looks like
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