So, it's been a lot longer than I planned. Originally that was because I wanted to flesh things out more, which I did. But as I did I became increasingly more aware that there's not really anywhere I can think of that I WANT to take this series unless I do a complete re-envisioning. Which... Kinda sucks donkeyballs. Because I like this world and I like the character. I just kinda... Don't like anything else about this story I suppose.
I plan to continue writing, but not this series. I just need to figure out a solid story first. I'm much more of a planner than I initially thought I was. Which is good to know, if a bit painfully late I suppose? I'm also much more of a worldbuilder and character builder than storyteller.
That said, I'll share a few rough ideas that may or may not ever see the light of day. See if anything catches my inspiration with some discussion.
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First, there's the four element band. They exist in a world that's some hybrid between Western Fantasy and Xianxia. It would of course, center around the titular four-classical-element band who are a modified version of the five man band. I'm not sure how or why, but they'd be doing a progression fantasy stuff, I'm thinking a quest ala journey to the west perhaps?
The characters include a quiet and sweethearted bear of a man with the earth element. Shy bookworm librarian water dragon mage/cultivator girl. A thunderbird stoic, autistic noble Scion thunderbird who is, on paper, the leader. Then there's Fireblossom the kitsune who's an energetic and mischievous social butterfly and the actual leader. The only one who already has a name.
This would also include romance.
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The Last Embers.
This story is one for which I have a rough outline already. The world was once a grand place, but then the goddess of Winter grew jealous of the world's liveliness and sealed the Sun god. Leaving the world to decay and freeze.
A young man joins a last-ditch, doomed expedition from the last city in the long dark world towards her Frozen Citadel to free the Sun God and bring life back to the world. It's notable that fire is life and cold is death in this world.
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The next story follows Melissa Ormendal, a young half-human merchant's daughter who inherited an incredibly rare Dimensional Affinity from her mysterious mother.
She'll be travelling the shattered matrioshka world of Shard on a quest to discover her origins, the secrets of the world and make some of that sweet, sweet money while at it!
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A Fateful Night
For those of you who've read my first short story and would like to see it continued! I'm gonna be honest. It's not likely, the story would be an adventure/exploration story about the titular duo as they travel the world and find a place which Dal'quem's dragon instincts decide makes a good lair. Which in retrospect, I'm not very interested in actually writing.
Problem is, the world it'd be set in has long since been deemed old and cringe, this tossed into the junk pile. The only cool part was the artificial magic distribution system and how the people have adapted. Now, it wouldn't be difficult to transplant their characters to... Literally anywhere else. The problem is that frankly, that doesn't solve anything and I have no idea to where.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Maybe the mythlands would work? (The world of Song) but I'd still not have a solid lead on what I'd want those two to do.
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A world of Seas and Skies
An as of yet unnamed world of mundane and floating islands. A long time ago, an Eldritch god woke up in the depths of the sea, leaking magic into the world and rising the sea levels. The rich escaped to Elysium station as the rest of the world population had to flee and adapt to the vastly changed world. From the ashes rose the Ascendant, a human demigod who seeks to unify and reclaim the world with his empire of the sun.
The story would be either a political of some small hapless nation caught in the tides between these forces. Or about pirates doing pirate things and avoiding capture by the Sun Cult, Elysian Guard and Deep Ones.
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Moonrise
This story is the least likely to get written, maybe as a oneshot. But nothing big most likely. But it's a story about Adaluna, Goddess of Truths and Lies. It would go into how she lives her life, intricacies of how the magic system works at the core, how divine politics fucks about and her handling all the bullshit that immortals get dealt. I feel like that is probably best split up onto other stories and characters, because Adaluna makes a poor protagonist. She's way too fucking old, experienced and powerful to really go through any character development. Maybe it'd be from a mortal incarnation of her, but that'd likely still end up as a shitty power fantasy. It'd work best as a short spinoff I imagine.
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Magic Girl Aurora
Stella is a chosen one, blessed by the Constellations of the Astral Seas, she has gone on epic adventures and saved the world. She's done it all, conquered evil with the power of friendship, married her crush and should be living her happily ever after.
Keyword: should be. Sadly, happily ever afters aren't so easy. Her workplace is struggling to get by and villainy is on the rise. In order to provide for her kids and their stay at home dad she's going back into the heroing business that traumatised her many years ago. Worse, last she was there she was chuuni about magical girls.
Badass businesslady superhero adventures of kicking crime's ass in a mildly dystopian world commence!
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Legacy of Naerum
Naerum is a very soft magic, mythological style world. Everything works on arbitrary rules and spirits hide everywhere. While the Maekkaii (angels) and Ashur (demons) drag parts of the world in their endless war.
It'd likely follow a young demon Hunter trying to deal with all the world's bullshit. A monster of the week format would likely work best? But I really don't wanna write that style of story
I also have a good idea for a spin-off from the perspective of one of the Ashur Antagonists and how they'd reach the heights they do in the series. Which, ironically I have much more fleshed out than the prime series.
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Song of Blood and Conquest
I like Seria, I like the world of the Mythlands. I want to explore both. But I just don't think the metanarrative shenanigans of the mythlands fit with the political intrigue that Seria's story needs to be to work. Or if it can, that I can pull it off.
I'd need to figure out which world, if any fit her or create a new one. Finding a story for the Mythlands is much easier though.
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Superhero Inc.
A few decades ago, superpowers were invented. Sadly, they were unstable and those who do not take a specialised dtabilising elixir have catastrophic meltdowns. This business was quickly privatised by megacorps.
Join Echo, Warpstalker, Ripline, Ruin and a few unnamed others as their misfit team of mercenaries fights for and against megacorps, shadowy cabals and the dreaded timelooper known as Chronoclast.
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Heroes of Yesteryear
Ashara wants nothing to do with her past. That's why she's retreated to the ass end of nowhere far away from anyone or anything of note. Sadly, the world decided to be in danger and her former compatriots are here to drag the great Witch of Annihilation, greatest pyromancer in the world, back into the messy business of worldsaving. Which is bad enough on it's own, but it seems her sisters are also popping up, which means mother isn't far away either which is it's own kind of disaster as well. Now if only she could find a babysitter.
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Conduit of the Apocalypse.
Have you ever felt like reality is a lie? Like the life you're living is a fragile bubble that can pop at any moment? Our protagonist does. When they get into an accident they find out why. They are The Conduit. The hierophant of a mysterious world-eating entity known as The Great Labyrinth. And it demands food.
Our protagonist is the conduit of it's power, capable of summoning the monsters from its deepest depths and creating anchors to further the corruption. We will drag the world into the mouth of oblivion! Let the demon king's world conquest begin!