#ooc

A rae sighting Hugs 🙂

Just setting the scene. We can break off into vignettes for slow posting in side rooms for those whose schedules do not allow direct attention

Fair

And yes, I am cheating a bit to loops Samhain in 🙂

EEEK

Yes, that means that if Clem is there, she must have her midriff out

Oh she might be fighting it this year! Ain't Samhain yet, and she's got her man and is full of love and honor and such

I should probably roll 😉

/roll 7

/roll 7 7

/roll 7 8

rejecting half of yourself isn't healthy, hem hem

Well, she'll hold until somewhere in the event 😉

Hey, Shady

How goes?

I am trying to prepare for NANOWRIMO

I got an idea, a bit grimmer fantasy than my usual fare. But I am way behind on ideas etc. Trying to decide how few characters to focus on as protagonists

General idea? A fantasy kingdom is at war with a superior foe, I'm thinking automatons are the enemy shock troops. These Automatons seem almost invulnerable to most typical weapons (Blades and bows age), but magic energy messes them up. Unfortunately, since only the upper crust are allowed to study magic, there is a severe shortage of wizards. More so as the battle wizards are on the front line. One group of wizards gives up their lives to take out a lot of enemy troops and buy time. But the upper crust has some choices: 1) Send More nobles out to die as regular troops aren't needed/effective. 2) Surrender and lose all they have. 3) Draft Peasants and allow them to learn wizardry at the great Academy for the first time, but only simple blasting spells and throw them into the grinder!

They go with 3

So recruiters go out, draft young men and women among the peasants (Girls can blast too, right) and give them a chance to learn at this noble old wizard college. Of course, conscription is not new to peasants, but this sort is. The Wizard College also has to adjust. They begin to hemorage noble and upper crust students so rich folks kids won't be sent to war, and even those silver spoon wizards in training are given the cushier SAFER futures. Some of the snots can't believe peasants will dirty up the place. Some of the teachers are elitist too. Other teachers are offended for a whole nother reason. They teach wizardry, and fire and lightning blasts while useful, are are not a full education! Some of these kids coming can barely read! Others show surprising promise, but a few professors have a real problem with turning a place of learning into living weapons manufacturing so to speak, and they got a REAL problem only teaching these poor kids only 1/10th of the types of spells and magics and rituals there are.

So I need to decide how many young students to focus on as my main protagonists, maybe one teacher as well. I need to decide if I'm going to have them 'all human' or have the kingdom have some fantasy races , either standard elves etc, or rarer used stuff like centaurs. I think it's a given at least some of the newbies will die, possibly still while IN the school, but certainly if they make it to the battlefield. I need to decide on the gender ratio, etc.

So If I haven't bored you guys yet, I'd love to hear your suggestions 😉

HA! Sounds like EBG's work is working on YOU!

Are you thinking a Starship Troopers vibe to the characters?

Ha. I confess, it might be very EBG. The idea came to me based on the old saying "A Rich Man's war and a poor man's fight" .... in those moments in history where the uppercrust could buy their way out of risk and harm

I have only watched the movie version, which I understand is very different (Though I do love the film), but that might be a good vibe to borrow from.

There's a main protagonist but also strong supporting stories/PCs and a supporting/fighting mentor figure.

Good point. I'm thinking of starting with quite a few 'recruits' then winding them down

Say 9 students start out... admitedly they probably won't get all details about them, but if this were a trilogy it might go from 9 to 7 to just 3

mostly be death or injury... it's grimmer than normal, but if I played up even a fantasy war as a lark it wouldn't ring true

Yep. And not all of 'em have to die. It might be an idea that one or two simply realize this is NOT a good fit for them and request release for another service option.

I think in the soceity they're in, they may not get that much choice, but possible

SOme might simply flunk out or not have the talent despite hard work

These are not bad lessons to teach, or to learn.

I Do think at least one professor might go rogue and teach the students literature, philosophy sciences etc that were 'cut from the peasant curriculum '

Sure!

And there's going to be at least one kid who probably is quite aware he or she is going straight into a war to risk dying for an ingrateful aristocracy, but doesn't give a damn becasue however slim the chance, it's at least a chance to get out of the poverty cycle/ toxic small village they were in

Not throwing away his shot!

HA. Same attitude 🙂

Blink Rahne?

Hey! Peeking in during lunch, wasn’t aware my dot was green.

Well, you stand revealed! When if you get a mo, read above my NANOWRIMO idea and later you can tell me some suggestions?

If you have not a mo, I understand 🙂

I did! I love the premise.

I think 9characters might be a bit much, unless some are grouped (siblings, lovers) and can be thought of as a set.

Probably better to start smaller then. I do want to show some loss. Maybe just go 5 4 3 so to speak , for MAIN protagonists