A Quick Overview

Here’s my ROW80 (Round 3) weekend update.  I’ve made some great story-crafting progress this week, especially as it pertains to one of my major villains, but more on that in a minute.  First, I want to give you a quick overview of where my “Sword & Sorcery” story-world is in its development so far.  Keep in mind that everything at this point is in the conceptual-stage of development; constantly evolving and ever changing. 

Note: A [bracketed word] means that the idea is conceptual, or that it is yet unnamed. 

All my “Sword & Sorcery” stories take place on an “Alternate-Earth” type planet.  This [World] was three main continents, each separated by vast treacherous seas.  These continents are the [Civilized Continent], the [Wild Continent], and the [Mystical Continent]. 

• The [Civilized Continent] has beautiful cities, rival kingdoms, and competing nations.  Don’t let the name fool you, it can be anything but civilized.  It is steeped in history as it contains the majority of the population of the [World].  Magic is feared and forbidden here.  All magic and monsters have been purged from the land long ago, after the [Great Arcane War].  

• The [Wild Continent] resides on the farthest outskirts of the trading routes of the [Civilized Continent], untamed and mostly undiscovered.  It has some ancient outposts along the coastlines, but they have long been claimed by jungle overgrowth.  This is a very primitive land inhabited by dangerous wild creatures and great beasts.  Survival is the law of the land here. 

• The [Mystical Continent] resides on the other side of the [World], cloaked in mystical fog and mystery.  It hosts the [World]’s oldest history, with ancient ruins and magical secrets located throughout this enchanted and accursed land.  It is sparsely populated with reclusive sorcerers, arcane cultists and remnant monstrosities.

There are several reasons why I wanted my story-world to be unified on one planet, yet separated by locations.  By separating locations, I have created for myself an “ultimate sandbox” to play in, leaving open all the story-possibilities that I want to tell.  On the [Civilized Continent], I can write classically-styled heroic fantasy.  On the [Wild Continent], I can write action-adventure fantasy.  And on the [Mystical Continent], I can write "fantaisie-noir".  All vary in tone, mood and style.  I unified my story-world on one planet because I wanted to leave open the possibility of shared history or maybe even a world-battle, but for now, each location will have there own unique characters and situations.  I have considered a few cross-over characters, like the [Mariner], the [Mercenary], and the [Scribe], but that won’t happen until I get further in a series. 

My “Sword & Sorcery” product-line will consist on three major series; an [Arcane Series], a [Rogue Series], and a [Warrior Series].  My sixteen story-idea threads are divided (almost) evenly between these three series.  Many are stand-alone stories, but some have potential for trilogies.  Scattered within are twenty-seven main characters and twenty villains.  Of them, I have a few candidates for “legendary status”, meaning these characters are my favorites, will have multiple adventures, and will represent my heroic fantasy franchise.  No “Sword & Sorcery” franchise would be complete without a least one Conan-esque hero, so my [Warrior Series] has one.  My [Legendary Hero] is just as strong and skilled with the sword, but is more fully-clothed (most of the time).  My [Warrior Series] also has an Amazon-like heroine I’ve dubbed the [Monster Huntress].  Yes, she hunts monsters.  In my [Rogue Series], my franchise character is the [Mercenary].  Others in this series may share in his action-adventures, but they are all under-developed so far, so I haven’t decided on their status yet.  My [Arcane Series] franchise characters are the [Grand Magister] and the [Arcane Warrior], who are both sorcerer-warriors (think sword-master, martial-artist and Jedi-master combined) battling the [Arch-Sorcerer] and his [Acolytes] for control of forbidden magic and power supremacy.  I’m still working on the magic-system. 

Which brings me to the major villain I mentioned at the top of this post.  For the past couple of days, I’ve been obsessed with one of the lesser-developed villains in my [Arcane Series].  His conceptual name is the [Savant] and he has great magical super-powers that I’m not yet ready to reveal.  But let’s just say that his unique talents are sought by both rival factions, and that he is a danger to himself and to others if his powers aren’t safely harnessed and properly controlled.  The [Arch-Sorcerer] villain secretly takes an interest in his talents and has sinister plans for him in the future.  All I can tell you now is that he will have a profound affect on many characters and plots in my [Arcane Series].  He is my “fallen hero” and the first I’ve developed with a negative character-arc.  Exciting stuff!  More details later.

Against the background of somber, primitive forest she posed with an unconscious picturesqueness, bizarre and out of place.  She should have been posed against a background of sea clouds, painted masts, and wheeling gulls.  There was the color of the sea in her wide eyes.  And that was as it should have been, because this was Valeria of the Red Brotherhood, whose deeds are celebrated in song and ballad wherever seafarers gather.
— (Excerpt from, Red Nails, by Robert E. Howard)

That’s all for now.  Keep the Fire Burning!
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