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Sanguinolency Petrichor - Solo Write
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TW: Death & Blood
“This is it.” The guardian thought, falling from the cliff above, “This is how my story comes to an end.”
He opened his eyes, his vision dimming and worsening due to his blood loss from the fight.
He redirected his gaze to the top of the cliff, where his smug enemy stood. The look on his face made the hero want to scream, shout, keep fighting, anything...
But he couldn't. He's been thrown off, and now he's going to die, his existence tainted by his one failure.
He tried to calm down. He's not going to give his antagonist the achievement of making him sob.
He shook his head. He's been falling for only a couple of seconds, but his mind was racing.
He couldn't fail them. The kingdom. His village. His friends. Amami.
Everyone who believed in him, everyone who was there for him.
Everyone who loved him.
“No.” He managed to say determinedly in a hoarse whisper.
He reached for his dagger and held it in his hands, gripping onto it as if it was his final shred of comfort.
He tried to focus on the jewels of the dagger, as his blood tainted them a fair crimson.
The dagger started to duly glow.
He mentally nodded, knowing that even if he may not survive, at least the people he fought for would be protected.
“Please... Don’t fail...”
His closed his eyes and took in his final moments.
Other than the overcast sky, the weather was nice. His friends would be racing horses at home.
The sounds of crickets and cicadas made a symphony, one that the children of the village would try to catch.
The air smelled of petrichor and blood. Ignoring the second scent, he thought back to his proposal to Amami.
She said yes, as long as he promised to take her to see the world. He wished he could've been the one to show her.
She deserved everything.
His eyes fluttered enough for him to see how long he has left, and let out a weak sigh.
It was a shame that his life was so short. Twenty-two years. Such an ephemeral.
The ground grew closer.
3...
2...
1...
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Character Sheets
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Personality:
Appearance:
Backstory (Optional):
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Other:
You may try to guess who I am. You may join anytime, even after this has started. The setting is a classic fairytale’s world. The first chapter will be out in a week.
submitted by Ceraunophile
(May 24, 2021 - 8:07 am)
(May 24, 2021 - 8:07 am)
Whoa, great writing! I wish I could write half as well as you can! Here's my character:
Name: Sahra (means desert in Arabic I think)
Age: hmmm maybe 19?
Gender: Female, pronouns are she/her
Personality: Strong and determined, smart, doesn't trust very easily
Appearance: Bronze skin, dark brown hair, amber eyes, lithe, wears lots of black, hates shoes, has bracelets on each wrist that are gold but shimmer with fire every so often. Said bracelets can turn into daggers.
Backstory: No one knows... except for me and now you! Also she will very rarely tell someone she trusts a snippet of it. She was born in a faraway desert where two tribes warred. When she was 13 she came home from school to find her village burned and the people dead. Has been winging it ever since.
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?: Well she's enmagicked but she's not much of a mage, more of a fighter... I guess it depends on what situations you put her in :D
Strengths: Smart, fast, agile
Weaknesses: Doesn't trust very many people
Other: like I said, she's enmagicked, and her specialty is fire magic. She loves wolves and lions, and can shapeshift into a wolf (if that's too OP just take out the shapeshifting :)) That's all! I'm looking to this :DDD
(May 26, 2021 - 5:25 pm)
Name: Atlantica-Amber "Attie" Gershowitz
Age: 16
Gender: Female, she/her
Personality: Loud and confident, but very quiet if she's tired. Loves making people laugh, and a perfectionist
Appearance: Jaggedly cut gold blonde hair, brown/amber eyes, tanned skin. Wears a black tank-top, light yellow cargo pants, an army green jacket and black converse.
Backstory (Optional): She lives with her adoptive parents, Aleece and Darrel in a farmhouse. That's really all.
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?: Mage for sure
Strengths: smart, persistent, determined, friendly but sometimes awkward
Weaknesses: slightly self absorbed, persistent, sometimes bossy
Other: Hopefully this isn't full
(May 26, 2021 - 6:22 pm)
Name: Atlantica-Amber "Attie" Gershowitz
Age: 16
Gender: Female, she/her
Personality: Loud and confident, but very quiet if she's tired. Loves making people laugh, and a perfectionist
Appearance: Jaggedly cut gold blonde hair, brown/amber eyes, tanned skin. Wears a black tank-top, light yellow cargo pants, an army green jacket and black converse.
Backstory (Optional): She lives with her adoptive parents, Aleece and Darrel in a farmhouse. That's really all.
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?: Mage for sure
Strengths: smart, persistent, determined, friendly but sometimes awkward
Weaknesses: slightly self absorbed, persistent, sometimes bossy
Other: Hopefully this isn't full
(May 26, 2021 - 6:22 pm)
Mate, you're awesome!!! (PS. Can my charrie low-key be a villain??)
Name: Lilith
Age: Mid-teens
Gender: Female, she/her
Personality: Smooth, funny, dislikes criticism, good at persuasion, sly, a schemer, a good actor, can be sarcastic when people get all self-righteous and preachy, is determined to show the harsh "truth" of the world no matter the cost, won't be shy about being harsh or vicious, isn't afraid to face oppenents (and tends to win, for that matter), manipulative and always seems able to talk her way out of trouble, confident but never cocky
Appearance: Brown hair with a purple sheen, dark pink or brown eyes(they change colour and flash a violent scarlet when angered or glow red when excited), sharpish nose and eyes, pale skin, athletic but is always covered by a cloack and hood
Backstory: There are many suspicious legends around her past, but... Legends are just legends, and she is the type to skillfully lie or avoid answering questions completely truthfully in basically all situations. All that can be said for certain is that she is powerful, mysterious and never seems to lose control of the situation. Although... perhaps her trust-issues and annoyance with touchy-feely stuff was established through a traumatic childhood? She doesn't ever seem fazed by anything or anyone...
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?: Probably a mage (is proficient in combat and is knowledgeable, but relies on magic most often)
Strengths: Manipulation, acting, maintaining control, being charismatic, managing resources, figuring things out and devising her own plots, keeping secrets
Weaknesses: Mary Sues, touchy-feely speeches, people telling her to heal her wounded heart, people interfering in places they don't belong
Other: N/A for now
Also, can we do more character sheets?
(May 26, 2021 - 11:49 pm)
Also, is there any connection to the real world at all? Are there real-world cultures/races/etc, or would you be able to just say that there are? Just curious if I could say that my character was a real-world race or not. Thanks!
(May 27, 2021 - 9:19 am)
@Blackfooted Bobcat, Anything you add to your character can easily be adapted to the story! As long as it can fit in a classic fantasy world, everything's fair game! :)
@Jaybells, You can have 1-3 main characters, and you can make unlimited side characters! You can also add characters even if we're in the middle of the story. :D
(May 27, 2021 - 2:03 pm)
Ooh, so cool! I'm so excited to see more of your writing!!
(May 27, 2021 - 7:39 pm)
Name: Kell Mointean
Age: 18
Gender: Male, he/him
Personality: Reserved, serious, clever and smart. Very mysterious and rarely speaks or shows emotion but actually very sensitive and empathetic.
Appearance: Very pale skin, long black hair with natural dark turquiose highlights, dual-colored eyes, one amber and one ice blue, tall and thin, always wears a hooded black cloak.
Backstory (Optional): Up to you!
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?: Mage
Strengths: Good at reading other peoples' emotions and thoughts, typically unfazed by insults, level-headed and calm in dangerous or chaotic situations
Weaknesses: Thinks of most others as below him, rarely admits that he's hurt or needs help, gets anxious in social situations, has a strange fear of human contact
Other: Can't wait for this to start!
(May 29, 2021 - 9:26 am)
Name: Arthfael Ambrose Valentin
Age: 18 (Almost 19)
Gender: Male
Personality: He’s responsible and serious, but can take a joke. He's kind but has the worst patience. His standards for everyone around him tend to be too high, and when they don't meet them he gets a bit frustrated.
Appearance: He has curly warm brunette hair and (semi creepy) golden eyes. He's caucasian and stands around 6’2. He also has a large claw mark scar on his chest.
Backstory (Optional): N/A
Fighter, Healer, Scholar, or Mage?: Fighter
Strengths: In addition to his fighting skills, he definitely knows how to lead. He's very perceptive and has a lot of determination. He'll do anything for anyone on his good side, no matter the cost. He's loyal and doesn't get scared easily.
Weaknesses: His high standards. It tends to push people away, or make himself appear bossy if you don't know him. He's also stubborn. Very stubborn. Once he makes his mind up on something it's difficult to change it. He has a bit of trouble when handling people's emotions. He can notice them, but he doesn't know how to react to them.
Other: That's all! Can't wait for this to start!
(May 30, 2021 - 6:18 am)
In honor of Memorial Day, the first part has been postponed until tomorrow.
Have a lovely day! :)
(May 31, 2021 - 5:15 pm)
Okay! I can barely wait to read it! And if you ever need more time to get something written, that's perfectly fine. Or at least I think it is, and I bet everyone else does too : )
And do you want me to give you slightly more heavily-developed character(s) or left things more for you to decide? Either way's fine - I love character development and can do a lot, but I can do less as well. And are there any traits or skills or such that would be particularly useful? Just wanted to see.
(May 31, 2021 - 7:12 pm)
A/N: Here it is! The first part! Sorry if it doesn't meet your expectations, I've been quite busy and wrote this at 2 AM last night. I hope you enjoy!
@Blackfooted Bobcat, I suppose (a) more developed character(s) would be useful! As for traits and skills, feel free to do whatever! I would appreciate a Scholar, but if you don't feel like making one, that's fine!
(No proofreading, we die like men.)
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Chapter One: The Origins of Heroes
“Tallia, look out for passing carts! Horses don't care about running over tiny energetic brunettes!” Signent warned, trying to keep up with his friend's pace.
“First of all, don't make all horses out to be that way. Second, who are you to call me tiny? I'm 73% sure you need a step stool to reach things on the top shelf.” She joked, dragging him through the busy streets, "Aren't you excited to see Zephyr again? He's been gone for months!"
After a couple minutes of silence, she looked back to Signent.
"...What's wrong?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"Isn't it a little... weird that he was only gone for a couple of months?"
"Well... Yes, know that I think of it." She furrowed her brow, then quickly shook it off, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Maybe the Truaill wasn't as big as a threat as we anticipated! If anything, this is a plus!"
"Heh. Yeah, maybe..."
"Now come on! I don't want us to be the last ones there just because you don't work out!"
"...Excuse me-!?"
"Eh- Race you the rest of the way!" Tallia exclaimed as she started to bolt.
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Arriving at Zephyr's home on the edge of the village, the two sensed something... Off.
Very off.
Like a feeling of impending sorrow, hanging heavily in the air as if it was petrichor.
The two cautiously exchanged glances and slowly opened the door.
Upon entering, they noticed the first red flag. Silence.
Alto would've been barking at them as soon as they stepped foot on the property. Instead, the hunting dog quietly glanced at them from where he was laying down.
He gave the newcomers a short whine, then got up and slowly walked into the next room.
The two followed and stopped short, trying to take in the scene in front of them.
Zephyr's soon-to-be bride Amami was sobbing in the corner, as three villagers the two slightly recognized as some of Zephyr's other friends (The mysterious Kell Mointean, Amami's best friend Aeranela, and Zephyr's cousin Lilith) attempted to comfort her. Or at least the first two were, Lilith appeared extremely uncomfortable.
In the corner, three other of Zephyr's friends were having a hushed conversation, periodically giving sympathetic and concerned glances to Amami. After wracking her brain, Tallia identified them; The head healer’s apprentice and orphaned grandson Calvin-Finnigan Temburlin, Zephyr's (semi terrifying) sparring partner Sahra, and Zephyr's childhood friend Arthfael.
Finally, the two found some people they can recognize; Attie and Maverick.
Maverick motioned for them to come over.
They slowly made their way forward as Attie broke the news, her voice shaking;
"Zephyr... Zephyr's dead. He failed."
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*Intermission For Dramatic Effect*
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Arthfael walked home from the funeral, through the calm evening, as his mind raced a million miles a second.
He tried not to think about his late friend, but the memories resurfaced and stung as if they were shards of glass, piercing his mind and attempting to break his sanity.
He eventually made it home and reached for the latch to his gate, but hesitated as something caught his eye.
A couple yards away, a blood red light shone from a small bubbling creek, hidden in the underwater pebbles.
Out of curiosity, he moved the rocks out of the way, revealing a small jewel, the source of the light.
He slowly reached for the precious stone, wondering why it felt so familiar.
Curious, he lifted it up out of the water and examined it.
The night immediately fell still.
Even the cicadas and the stream stopped making noise, as if they were anticipating something.
After a couple quiet moments, it happened.
The stone cut through his flesh, digging itself into his hand.
Arthfael passed out.
(June 1, 2021 - 4:14 pm)
Intriguing! I want to know how the red stone comes into things. The writing is really good, especially for a first draft with no proofreading! I like the way the description sets the mood at the end - "blood red light" and the memories being like "shards of glass". The tone of each section was very clear. Are you open to a little bit of constructive criticism? If not that's fine. I can just highlight some of the things you did well!
(June 1, 2021 - 6:07 pm)
@Blackfooted Bobcat, Of course constructive criticism is welcome! :D
@Everyone, Forgot to put this in charrie sheets, but can you mention if you're comfortable with your character being shipped? It may or may not happen depending on how this turns out, but I'd like to know! Thank you! <3
(June 1, 2021 - 8:40 pm)
Wonderful! I was looking forward to this so much and it definitely did not disappoint. The similes you use make the writing much more vivid and easier to feel. And the red stone, what a cliffhanger! I cannot wait to learn how it and the guardian play into the story. A thought just occurred to me; is Zephyr the guardian from the beginning? I am curious about the word petrichor. You seem to have a special liking for it. Is there a reason this word has been included in both sections so far?
I will put this with my character sheet also, I would prefer Calfin didn't get shipped.
(June 2, 2021 - 9:35 am)