Viginette #19

Laughter and the flit of fairy wings filled the air as a group of fairies arrived in the large clearing overlooking the plains--the perfect spot for playing sproutball out of the gaze of human or elven eyes.

"Marfil, you remembered the sprout?" a fairy clad in blue asked as she began fashoning a goal net from some twigs and cobwebs.

"Of course, Susura." a fairy clad in white replied as she set a small brown seed with two small leaves peeking from it on the ground. "We can't play Sproutball without the sprout!" The seed suddenly glowed a faint green to illustrate its bearer's point.

"I'll be happy to make the other goal net." a brown haired fairy in green replied before flitting up to gather some twigs.

"Arune, be on my team!" a fairy in purple begged.

"No, be on mine!" a fairy in yellow protested.

Arune sighed. "Farfalla, Amberlyn, I'll be happy to be on either of your teams if you just say so." she assured both fairies before winding some cobwebs across the twigs to make a goal net.

Once the field was set up, the fairies met at the midpoint of their makeshift field to choose up sides. Amberlyn and Susura were named captains of the two teams, which meant they had to choose five others to complete the lineup.

Amberlyn was first. "I choose Farfalla for my team!"

"And I'll choose Gora for mine." Susura replied. This went on for a while:

"Then I'll pick Serenity for my team!"

"And I choose Arune for mine."

"I choose Vista for my team!"

"I choose Piora for mine."

Once the teams had been decided, Susura asked Arune "Which position do you want to play this time?"

"Goalkeeper." Arune replied as she flitted over to the right goal net and watched the two captains meet at midfield. The sprout then started to fly upward, but Susura whacked it away, beginning the match.

Arune watched as Susura passed the sprout to Piora, but Farfalla stole the sprout and made a mighty heave for the right goal! Arune intercepted it in the right corner and tossed it back to Marfil. Marfil passed it to Susura, but the sprout suddenly turned to ice, making her drop it and allowing Farfalla to steal it as it returned to normal.

"No fair!" Susura complained.

"Cardinal rule of sproutball: the sprout will do anything to ruin the best laid strategy." Arune assured her teammate as she intercepted the sprout again.

It's decided!

Shokiyu will be the new name for my world.

Viginette #18

Yet another viginette where I have to delete the world name....

Miresa sighed as she stared out the window. The temple's belltower had just struck the Hour of Night's Topaz, and she was still unable to sleep. Many questions about her impending quest weighed on her mind: Will the demon lord be after me? How much farther untill we get to Selance? What will Queen Leria ask me to do? Have the Twelve Stones really hidden themselves away from Katva's clutches?

"What are you doing up at this hour, Miresa?" Arune's voice snapped Miresa back to reality and gave her some assurance that she was safe. "You know we have a long way to go to get to Selance."

"I know that, but I'm just afraid of what will happen when we get there..." Miresa sighed. "I mean, I know I have to go, like it or not. But why would Meikon choose me out of the billions of beings on (unknown) as the Sixth Gemsinger?"

"She has Her own ways of doing things, and although we as mortals won't always understand why She chooses to do one thing over another; She has a plan for each mortal. Maybe this quest is part of Her plan for you."

Viginette #17

Continuing on our way to Selance
We saw we had a long way to walk
So Bradlin come up with the "brilliant" idea
To have a dragoon fly us there, so all we had to do was relax and talk

So we walked until we saw a dragoon's outpost
With Selance offered as a stop
20 pieces of gold for the trip
In less time than it takes corn to pop

I ponyed up my share of the twenty pieces
And was told when our dragon would come
Less then ten minutes time, they said
Or you can call me a bum

And so ten minutes came and went
With no dragon to be had
Everyone was getting quite antsy
And I was trying not to get mad

A lovely blue dragon came not long after
Her rider well dressed and dashing
An adventurous twinkle came into his eye
As he assured us we would not be crashing

We held on tight as we soared skyward
But before I could enjoy the ride
I looked down to see just where we were
And saw the ocean at high tide!

I told the dragoon that Selance was the other way
And we needed to be going west
But when told we had to dismount and walk that way
Galia said "Surely you jest!"

But no, it was the truth, he said
So we reluctantly climbed off
In the middle of a misty swamp
That made Arune cough

So tonight we're farther away from Selance
And 20 gold pieces less
Whether or not I ride with a dragoon again
Is up to you to guess

Viginette #16

The thunder rolls outside
My duties at the temple complete for now
And I have a few moments to spare

Siwyn hears my coming
Her deep brown fur ripples from the breeze coming in
Exposing some gold underneath
As she sits and waits

For me to choose a tale to study
While it steadily rains
And I have nothing to tend to

Some days, I choose a lighthearted romance
Of a princess seeking her love
Other days, I may choose a thrilling mystery
So I can match wits with the hero
And solve the crime before I get to the end

A day like today calls for a tale of adventure
From a time long past in our world
So I make my way to my wicker chair
And invite Siwyn nearby
To lose ourselves in another world together

Viginette #15

So we were on our way to Selance one night
When it started to get late
But a town was not far from our position
The guards let us through the gate

Where we then proceeded to find an inn
To rest up for tomorrow
But the night we spent in that little shack
Was one filled with sorrow

The innkeeper tried to make us feel at home
But I guess that can be hard
When the only food you have on hand
Consists mainly of lard

Which not long after it was consumed
Nature it did call
We spent ten minutes each in the bathing room
Ridding ourselves of it all

It didn't help that a barroom brawl
Raged not far from our location
As soon as we regained our bearings
We went to our room to avoid the altercation

But the yells and crashes of chairs and tables
Kept Arune awake for at least an hour
If I'd known a spell to quiet the noise
I'd gladly use the power

The beds were old, crusty and hard
Like sleeping on a rock
I spent most of the night
Wearily eying the clock

And silently pleading with Meikon
To make the dawn come faster
I've learned that next time, we'll sleep in a larger town
To avoid a repeat of this disaster

Viginette #14

"Here we are, everyone...my secret place." Galia smiled as she waited for Miresa, Bradlin, and Arune to arrive.

"If it is your secret place, then our knowing about it doesn't make it secret anymore." Arune interjected as she waited for Miresa to unpack her tent and the jewelry box that served as a dwelling for her.

"I choose to share it with you all because you are my friends, Lady Wingblade." Galia replied. "Only me and those I consider a friend know about the Meadow of Shining Illusion. To anyone else, it is merely a dead end in the Forest of Dawn."

"Fascinating..." With that, Bradlin gathered up some sticks and twigs and began building a campfire. "So, why are we passing through the forest when we don't even need to go to Coraira yet?"

"Miresa may have awakened as the Gemsinger, and done the three deeds the Sixth Gemsinger was foretold to do within hours of awakening, but to actually begin the journey that all Gemsingers have gone on, she must receive the Gemsinger's Quest from the ruler of her own race." Galia explained.

"So that's why we're going to Selance--Leria rules there, and she rules over the humans on this continent..." Arune noted as she watched Bradlin finish starting a hearty blaze.

"That being said, know that we are not being pursued on the journey to Selance--not yet." Galia continued.

"We're not?" Miresa asked. Usually in the stories she'd heard, the Gemsinger and the party were usually pursued to the human capital city by demons and other creatures of the dark realm, and there were plenty of near misses and adventures on the way.

"The demon lord doesn't know you've awakened as the Gemsinger yet, Miresa....but as soon as you find the first of the Twelve Stones, then he will begin his pursuit." Galia replied. "His heart is too far corrupted to shine with the light of magia, and so he cannot sense mortals that have it, even if the being is the Gemsinger. But the magia he can sense comes from the Stones themselves." She let that hang as Bradlin hung some preserved beef over the campfire.

Miresa swallowed hard at the thought of the demon lord following her every move--if she died at the hand of the demon lord, (unknown) would be destroyed!

Viginette #13

"Here we are, Arune...the sea." Miresa began as she finished making her way down a bluff. It had been a day's journey from Telrain, but Miresa felt it was worth the trip. Having a friendly costal town close by the shore didn't hurt, either.

"Wow..." Arune gasped, amazed by the clear blue water and the waves lapping against the shore. "Have you ever wondered what lies at the end of it, Miresa?"

"Well, I do know there are other continents besides where we live..." Miresa stammered. "But I haven't really been to any of them."

"Just think of it--we could discover a continent or civilization long thought to be lost." Arune mused.

"Or better, we discover a brand new civilization no one has ever seen before!" Miresa smiled as she dashed down to the sandy shore. "Imagine what Leria and Kamino both would say!"

"Adventuring would be fun, but unless you have wings or the strength of ten avris, we're not going to cross the sea that easily." Arune sighed. Miresa stopped in her tracks--swimming across the ocean was no easy task, and she barely had enough gold to travel to the beach, and chartering a ship would cost thousands, if not more. Hiring a dragoon was also out of the question, as no dragoon she knew was willing to cross the sea, and if there were, they would also ask for exorbitant fees.

Viginette #12--Prologue first draft

The low rumble of thunder echoed throughout the temple as a group of children made their way through the temple foyer, past the worship hall, and around a corner into a room filled with books of all kinds. One of them, an auburn haired girl with two braids encircling her head, was particularly excited to be there--hearing stories from the Seer was way more interesting than listening to Miss Kurial drone on for hours about kings and queens long since dead.

"Lady Seer, I entrust my class to you this afternoon--the rain and thunder are making them antsy and unwilling to pay attention." she heard Miss Kurial say to the female elf clad in the ornate white robe with colored swirls Seers wore. She clasped her hands together along with her classmates and waited for the elf's response.

After a few tense seconds, the elf also clasped her hands and pointed them at the class. "Welcome, class of Kurial Damis...I have much to tell you today."

Now that the class was officially welcomed, the children walked over to a rug in the center of the floor, and sat down facing the elf. While her classmates would chatter amongst themselves, Miresa just watched the rain that was pounding the temple window--what tale would the Seer tell today? She had learned the elf's name, Galileth Moonblade, some months before, when the elder had formally installed her as Seer of Telrain. While she wasn't sure why some townspeople were so afraid of an elf interceding before the Goddess for a town mainly consisting of humans, the elven Seer had quickly won over many families in Telrain with her soft spoken demeanor and kind heart--so much so that she had earned an affectionate nickname among the children--Galia.

The thumps of the elf organizing a few books and other supplies and another rumble of thunder snapped Miresa back to the present--Galia was about to begin class.

"I see all are present today. Good." Galia smiled as she surveyed the children seated before her. "Today we will discuss one of the world's best known legends--the legend of the one that can wield all Twelve Stones' power. Who can tell me what the popular name for this being is?"

Miresa's hand shot up before anyone else could answer. "Yes, Miresa Selvan?"

"This being is named the Gemsinger." Miresa confidently answered--almost any Sekiyan would know this, she thought.

"Very good." Galia smiled. "The story goes that when Sekiya is in great danger, the Holders that guard the Twelve Stones disappear in some way, and the Stones themselves flee to places filled with many traps and trials to deter the demon lord or other dark beings from finding them."

"But what happens if the demon lord does find them, Lady Galia?" a boy asked.

"Then the world itself feels the effects of the corrupted stone--the wind blows out of control, storms blow up on the sea, and the earth withers away, to name some examples." Galia replied. "The only one worthy of rescuing the Stones from these dungeons is the Gemsinger, whose heart shines with all twelve colors of magia." Some thunder rumbled outside to illustrate Galia's point.

Viginette #11

I depart long before the town awakens
And disappear into the forest outside of town
I feel a sense of belonging there
As I am not far from the hero's home

But that is a day's journey from here
and I don't have that much time
Before the sun rises
And I must return

It's a little cool right now
And the trees climb to the heavens
Obscuring any view
Of the brightening sky

I move quickly
With all the grace and speed of a deer
My footfalls silent to the forest creatures
They know my people are friends of their land

The world starts to gain a little color
As the sun peeks over the horizon
And I arrive in a clearing
I call my own

For only a few moments
I am at peace.

Viginette #10: Phobias

Miresa?"

"Hm?" Miresa looked away from the dusty road leading into the town square. "What is it, Arune?"

"Why are some beings afraid of the silliest things?" the chocolate haired fairy asked as she landed on her Other's shoulder.

"Now what makes you ask that?"

"I was passing by the temple this morning, and Losi was acting unusually fearful of going up to the highest tower--a very unusual fear for an avri. Usually, avris are fearless of flying."

"Well..." Miresa racked her brain for the simplest way to explain such a fear to the fairy on her shoulder. Sometimes a being will have a very unatural fear of something--healers call fears like this a phobia. In Losi's case, she is afraid of going into tall buildings or a location that is high off the ground."

'But when you fly, you go high off the ground!" Arune protested. "So does that mean Losi is afraid to fly?"

Miresa giggled. "No, Losi enjoys flying just like any other avri would--it's just that when she is on a tall cliff or a high point of a building, she is afraid." She wasn't a healer, but Miresa felt that was an easy enough explaination

Viginette #9: Mother used to say

"Not again..." Arune sighed as she ran a finger over her crystal chimes, restoring some charred books to normal. "Are you sure you really want to be a blademage, Miresa?"

"Yes..." Miresa sighed--this was the third fireball she had accidentally unleashed in the library that week.

"Well, a good blademage knows how to control the magia inside them, even if they don't know they have named a spell until too late." Arune explained as watched the newly healed books fly back on the shelf, hiding all evidence of her Other's accident. "If you don't mind my asking, why do you continue to try to harness magia even though it usually winds up being a mess for me to clean up?"

"My mother asked me that same question when I was young--but back then, I was too young to understand why I kept making things happen when I unknowingly named spells--and I said I wanted to be a blademage." Miresa explained. "But after a week went by where I inadvertantly caused an accident at least once per day, I was seriously reconsidering my childhood dream and leaving the mage's lodge. Mother took me aside and said "Set yourself as the standard". I took that to mean 'believe in yourself', so whenever someone tells me to just give up, I just remember that little proverb, and it gives me the strength to keep trying."

Viginette #8: My Idol

Had to edit out the world name in this viginette, since I don't know what the new name of the world will be yet

The day of the festival dawned warm and sunny, and all of Telrain turned out on the town square to watch the Festival Dance. Some in the crowd wore flowers in their clothing--girls and women in their hair, men and boys in the pockets of their shirts.

Galia and Losi were present, both in their ceremonial clothes, as the four members of the ensemble filed onstage with their instruments. A feather from Losi's wings was pulled free by the breeze and swirled out to land on Miresa's leggings. She blushed, but Losi gave her a reassuring look, as if wanting Miresa to take the feather.

Miresa found her seat in between Caronna and Ailina and made herself comfortable, her heart pounding like a drum creating a reel of nervousness. She could feel her hands shaking and her feet jerking a little, as if wanting to dance to the uneasy rhythm reverbrating through her.

Caronna noticed Miresa shaking and placed a reassuring hand on her. "You'll do fine--so long as you've practiced your part, nothing will go wrong."

The words did nothing to soothe the nervous rhythm inside Miresa as Aeskan--or as she was known all around (unknown), Fleetfoot--stepped onto the stage. Her jet black hair, a sign among elves that the elf had innate darkness magia, made a stark contrast between the pure white dress-like outfit and leggings she wore. In just a few short moments, Miresa realized, she and her fellow bandmates would be transforming the white outfit into one with the four primal colors of magia--dark green for earth, red for fire, light blue for water, and light green for wind.

Galia stepped out towards center stage, hushing the murmuring crowd. "People of Telrain, a special day has arrived--the day of celebration that marks the return of spring and the new life born from it..."

Miresa tried to listen to the speech, but the nervous rhythm her pounding heart had created was now quickening to a fever pitch. She didn't know why her nervousness had increased to this level--her being in the presence of one of her idols, Fleetfoot, or the fact she was now minutes away from playing in the ritual she had always dreamed of playing in. Galia's words seemed muddled in her mind, drowned out by the frantic reel seemingly pulsing through her body.

She snapped to attention as Galia finished her speech and took her leave with Losi, leaving her, her bandmates, and Aeskan the only ones onstage.

Torian waited for Losi to give the starting signal, then whispered "Magia Flower", making his instrument glow deep green as he began to play the simple, yet stately jig-like melody that made up one half of the Prayersong's tune. The deep bass notes of the lute created flowers shining with all twelve magia colors around Aeskan's feet, which she deftly tiptoed through as her outfit absorbed some of the sparkling deep green swirl creating the flowers.

Once the lute played the complete A section, Caronna whispered "Ruby Sphere" before lifting her glowing red instrument to her chin and joining the tune. No sooner had the fiddle joined in did large red balls begin to form in the air alongside the elven dancer swirling and swaying across the stage to the stately melody, bursting in showers of rubies, which Aeskan picked up and spread around her and the Magia Flowers, absorbing some of the stream of sparkling red energy into her costume. Some of the Magia Flowers burst into flames at the ruby's impact, making some in the crowd ooh and ah.

The concertina joined in with the spell Sea Rune for the B section of the tune, creating waves of sparkling light blue energy that set the Magia Flowers and remains of Ruby Spheres afloat. But Miresa knew that the "water" Aeskan was now splashing and jumping through was not water, but water magia. She swallowed hard as a wave engulfed Aeskan for a moment, making her outfit absorb some of the water magia that now drenched the stage. If this were real water, her idol would surely slip and fall; but Aeskan did not slip on the waves of water magia and the showers of rubies and flowers around her. Every step, every twirl, every jump--each of them well rehearsed and masterfully executed--affirmed to her time and time again why Aeskan had been dubbed "Fleetfoot"

The lute, the fiddle, and the concertina playing the B section a second time snapped her from her awed trance--she had been too focused on Aeskan to notice that after they finished, it would be time for her to join in at the A section! She nervously fumbled for the peridot Galia had given her and stammered "Prism Storm", making her whistle glow light green. After waiting for her cue, she gingerly joined in with the tune, making colored wind gusts out of the light green energy of wind magia, completing Aeskan's transformation from pale white form to a Magia Dancer of many colors. The melody of earth, fire, wind, and water joined with the dancer swirling among the energy to create a harmony fit for a goddess.

As she played, Miresa thought she saw Arune nodding her head to the rhythmical jig-like tune, and Bradlin flashing the sign of the sprout to her in encouragement--and it gave her more resolve to play stronger, and louder, strengthening the Prism Storm.

After several more renditions of the tune, all four instruments ended together on a D note as Aeskan struck a triumphant pose. The last of the four combined magias combined in one last explosion of color in the noonday sky before the crowd began to cheer....

Viginette #7: Holiday

"Let me see if I heard you correctly, Miresa..." Arune gasped. "Lady Galia wants you to be one of four that will play the Festival Dance Prayersong to accompany this year's Magia Dancer?"

"Yes! Yes! I can't believe it myself." Miresa replied.

"You realize that the Festival Dance is not the kind of dance tune you are accustomed to playing..." Arune started. "It's actually a slow and stately tune....also know that you are actually casting magia."

"I'll be receiving a peridot to cast the spell with and control it, don't worry." Miresa sighed. She knew full well that if the festival was ruined because of an errant wind gust, Halliwen wouldn't let her live it down.

"Then who else is playing with you?" Arune was piqued.

"Well...Caronna's playing fire again this year..." Miresa began. "Torian is also back this year, playing earth on the lute he made last year...the only other newcomer this year is Ailina, who will be playing water. So the ensemble will be a lute, a fiddle, a concertina, and me on whistle."

"And who is the Magia Dancer this year?"

"You'll probably think this is a Stone of Power, but Aeskan, the elven dancer everyone calls "Fleetfoot", is coming this year." Miresa replied.

Arune stiffled a giggle. "Like THAT's a Stone of Power! What would motivate Fleetfoot herself to come to such a small town like this?"

"Lady Galia probably asked Fleetfoot to come, I'd wager." Arune mused. "But at any rate, you'd best get practicing if you stand a chance of controlling the magia." With that, she flitted over to the empty music stand before Miresa and ran a finger over her chimes of crystal, making the book of Prayersongs lying on the bed fly up and settle before Miresa, the pages ruffling until they came to the Prayersong called Festival Dance.

Miresa studied the music for a moment--she did too play this kind of dance tune! Festival Dance was simply a slowed down jig set in common time, and the tune was fairly easy, or so she thought.

She tried to play the beginning of the tune, but the well hidden triplet in the first measure threw off her concentration and made a screech echo through the room.

Arune winced from the whistle's squawk. "Have you had your power locked, Miresa?"

"No--I've just never seen this rhythm before." Miresa explained. Arune rolled her eyes as her Other screeched and squawked through the melody--the festival would be ruined for sure if Miresa played the Prayersong as badly as she was playing it now.

More viginettes coming

I've been meaning to share some more writings, but some of them I may have to edit in the new name of the world.

Another name for your consideration

My friend (who is helping me with The Video Game) suggessted the name Shokiyu for my world--what do you think?

Is there an artist in the house?

As much as I want to draw Miresa and co. and their world, I can't draw to save my life--so if there are any artists out there that want to help bring my world to life, let me know!

Utana vs. Tiriata

Which of these names do you like better?

In case of trimming...

In the event that I have to trim some elementals, how much is enough to trim?

Rearranging magia

To start, I'm taking psychic abilities out of Time and putting them in Spirit. Pearl's possible new elemental is Ether, which manipulates the fire-like substance ghosts are made of, as well as summoning beings and items

Some new names...

Here's a list of possible new names for my world--starred names are ones I like a lot.

Utana*
Tiriata*
Agrion
Minagas
Eurion

What to rename the world and more

Since I found out that my initial name of Sekiya has inappropriate implications, I'm back to square one-naming the world.

Should I still go with combinations of real words in other languages, or should I just generate a name?

I then got criticism that I need to rework the magic system. While paring down elementals is my last resort, I decided to start by moving psychic power out of Time elemental magic and putting it in Spirit (or whatever I ultimately re-name it)

Pearl needs a new elemental, and I could change Spirit to something like Ether.

Any ideas for what Pearl's new elemental should be

A world by any other name...

Over the course of the year I have built my world, I have been careful to avoid words that could mean inappropriate things--so imagine my shock when I learned that Sekiya has an inappropriate meaning/implication in Japanese.

So that means back to the drawing board for naming my world....

Traveling in Sekiya, Day 3

For traveling short distances within a city, what are the alternatives? Can people hire a cab, a litter, a rickshaw, or do they have to walk or rely on their own servants or horses?

Besides walking, a Sekiyan can also hire a carriage (akin to cabs) or use a teleporter (which, unlike teleportation magia, is very unlikely to fail)

Traveling in Sekiya, Day 2

Are there magical means of transportation (teleport spells, magic carpets, dragon-riding)? How do they compare in speed, safety, and expense to non-magical means? How commonly are they used, and for what purposes (industrial shipping vs. travel for fun)?

Teleportation and dragon/wyvern riding are common in Sekiya, and are usually faster and safer at the cost of a slightly higher price. Teleportation is mainly used for shipping items, as the risk of teleportation failing rises with the more people you need to teleport. Dragon/wyvern riding is used for both purposes, with each dragoon charging their own rate per person

Traveling in Sekiya, Day 1

What are the common domesticated animals used for transportation at various levels of society -- e.g., oxen, horses, donkeys, camels, etc.?

Oxen and horses are generally used on the plains, but elk are occasionally used on the plains, as well as the mountains and the highlands. Camels are also used in the desert

The Sekiyan Countryside, Day 5

Last question on this topic:

Can peasants/yeomen own their own land, or does it all belong to the lord? What kinds of rights over land, crops, game, etc. does the lord/landowner have? Is poaching a problem?

Commoners do own their own land, but will occassionally allow migrant workers to work. In this case, the migrants are given room and board in exchange for a portion of what they harvest each month.

The Sekiyan Countryside, Day 4

•How are farming/food-producing areas divided up between humans/nonhumans? What kinds of conflicts are likely?

The humans and the elves usually do not intrude on one another's lands, but the elves will contact the humans if they feel a proposed farm would require clearing some of the Forest of Dawn

The Sekiyan Countryside, Day 3

What kinds of catastrophic/weird weather are common--tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, waterspouts, dust storms? How do people cope? How do non-humans cope?

Tornadoes are common on the plains, while hurricanes are more common on the coast. Blizzards will usually occur in the mountains or highlands, but a blizzard striking the valleys is not unheard of.

Dust storms usually occur in the desert, but they will also occur on the plains if it has been a unusually dry summer

Whatever the case, magia is usually used to protect crops, animals, and beings from wild weather, but everyone also knows what to do in the event of wild weather

The Sekiyan Countryside, Day 2

•How reliable is the weather from year to year -- is crop production relatively dependable, or do people have to cope with regular famines due to drought or floods?

Production is mostly reliable naturally, but when weather threatens, magia is used to protect the crops, but depending on the severity of the weather, the magia may not hold.