20th!

20th!!
Edit: 21st!

22nd! YESSS A LUCKY TAYLOR SWIFT REFERENCE

I shall claim this spot for my weekly.

Part 1

- A world that is merely a stopping point between universes of different creatures.
- Animals can talk and keep humans as pets
- All idioms and metaphors are taken seriously
- Education is everything, a good lifestyle depends on it. However, few graduate.
- All resources are unlimited
- A world where all extinct creatures go
- Those of nobility are the form of government
- All of life, people are in school and are paid for it.
- Everyone is optimistic, pessimists are considered a disgrace.
- Animals are considered superior to humans, all decisions are made in some way that can be chosen by animals.
- Everything is one color
- All homes are a dull color, unless it belongs to those who have earned it.
- Acceptance in the community is earned completing a quest.
- Those who challenge laws or words spoken by authority are to be banished.
- A world made up of five sectors, one a bustling city, one a punishment realm, one nature, one rural area, and one with large properties for those of great value to the community.
- Humans are divided by social class, classes may not socialize
- A dangerous world where everyone constantly lives in fear
- A completely safe world where nobody every worries.
- Authorities know of more land or dangers, but lie to the community to keep them oblivious
- Certain individuals are randomly accepted and said to show “potential”, and are greatly valued by the community.
- Everything everyone believes is based off of the words of a seer, someone who supposedly sees and knows everything.
- Many desired resources are in small numbers, and people must work and prove their worth in order to earn them.
- Government controls everything in a manipulative way that makes life difficult for community, but is fairly disguised.

As far as the country was concerned, there was nothing worthwhile beyond the borders of Implenium, their humble home. The country consists of five sectors. The first settlers were believed to speak only Latin, but eventually developed a new language, the one that is considered native to Implenium. Implenium is often called the happy country because everyone in the kingdom is said to be optimistic. For generations, people have tauht their children how to look for a bright side. Pessimist are often called disgraceful and are sent to Regnebrarum. In the heart, a land full of people and buildings, the empire. They call this sector Centrum, meaning center. This is the home of the castle where all members of nobility live, and well as the chief city. Houses that line the streets are all dull shades of grey, unless they have completed a quest or schooling. The empire itself is quite an attraction, known for it's modern architecture that had been built decades ago. It is also quite renowned for its government system, as mentioned briefly before. Members of nobility are in control of the kingdom, and secretly manipulate their citizens into paying more than needed for taxes, and tell them that all that lies beyond the border is danger, when there is truthfully a beautiful, unexplored world. In this sector, it is a tradition to annually choose five people who show potential to go on a quest. These five people are sent out of the kingdom. Those who finish their quest become nobility, and those who fail are sent to Regnebrarum. Some people think this is an honor, others prefer to simply go through the many years of schooling to become nobility. The second sector, just west of Centrum is a more rural area called Sancturarium, which is where farming is done and where the lower classes are forced to live. This sector is known for being a sanctuary for extinct animals. Many empty enclosures lay in the zoo, purposely because at random times new species appear. This land is also a tourist attraction because of it's beautiful flower fields and natural history. One tree dates back seven-hundred years, which is when the kingdom is said to have been created. Many natives claim that it gives protection from what lies beyond the borders it rests on. Another sector is purely nature, they call it Pudavita. Pudavita is North of Centrum. This sector it purely for human health and enjoyment and to create habitats for the diverse species that live in Implenium. The only architecture in this sector is ancient temples and cathedrals, as it is illegal to build here. The next sector is East of Centrum, and is called Terigium. This is the land where those of pre-nobility and rich members of society live on their large properties and manors. There are also many schools in the area, and some nobility schools, where those of pre-nobility train to learn the ways for government, power, and manipulation. They are not allowed to speak about what they learn here, not to anyone. Our final sector is Regnebrarum, the punishment realm. These lands are always covered in dark clouds and stony sand covers the ground. Small shacks that are decades old are where those who live in this are call home. Tall stone walls surround this sector, and this wall is heavily guarded. Those who break laws of challenge the words of nobility are sent here. This home is temporary unless they continue to challenge rules. Implenium is quite an interesting country, considering it's government, schooling, rules, and punishments. Many say they'd live in any country besides this country, but others wouldn't be anywhere else.
+613 words

I hadn't been to Implenium for decades- or at least not the nice part of it. So much had changed. There were things called “cars” and tall buildings that towered ominously over the city. After all these years, I was back in Centrum, my lifelong home. As I rounded the corner of the bakery and blacksmith my house slowly faded into view. It was amongst what had once been rows of small cottages.Next to what used to be a fair grey house, was my humble home. It had been decorated with shades of red, orange, and yellow. My favorites. The colors of the sunsets. My neighboring house was now a tall, silver skyscraper that served as a workplace for lawyers. Many grimaced as they saw me, and few smiled. Some even called my name. Others booed. I had expected a similar greeting. Many years ago, I had been chosen for a quest, my potential was said to be great. I was sent out of the kingdom to kill a great beast and bring home its pelt. I found a lion just beyond the borders, but failed to kill and strip it. I trudged back hopelessly to the kingdom. I lied and said that I had killed the beast, but broke my sword in the battle, so I was unable to bring the pelt back with me. Well, the nobles found out and sent me to Regnebrarum. I've spent the past thirty-five years living in a tiny shack with three men and two women, one of which died from an unknown reason. The other, well she is by my side today as I walk into my beautiful house, which they painted before I was banished. Analou is to become my wife in a few moons, then I may not be as lonely. She was put in Regnebrarum because she accused the nobles of over-taxing and refused to pay. She has helped me see that we are being blind-sided by the nobility. They are taxing us for more than needed, and they spend the extra money for themselves. Or at least that is what makes the most sense. Although, there is still much I do not know, nor will I ever know. I have no chance of becoming nobility and finding out. I will keep quiet though, I love my home in Centrum, and I would never do anything to jeopardize my home. Analou has sworn to secrecy. Someday, we will find a way to expose the nobles, but as for right now, we have just been released from Regnebrarum, and nobles are keeping close tabs on us. Anything out of line right now could change our futures forever. I don't want to threaten my life with Analou, not for anything. There is nothing I wouldn't give or take for her, my love. I intend to spend the rest of my life here in Centrum, by Analou, working as a tailor beside her. Dreams do come true, even when you have to climb the highest mountains or trudge the lowest ravines to get there.
+512 words

Part 2

What are the laws of your world, specifically about magic? Punishments?
The government of Implenia is very strict about laws, and they hate to be challenged about ones that aren't entirely necessary (and there are many that are unnecessary). Magic is strictly forbidden, so much so that nobody even knows they posses magical powers. The nobles believe that magic could be a big problem, they believe that it would lead to revolution, so for centuries they have told their citizens magic is not real. Since nobody has ever heard of magic in their world, they are entirely oblivious to the powers they posses, making their magical abilities inactive.
+97 words

What is an important symbol of your world?
One of the most important symbols is nobility. Nobility is something everyone desires. A result of completing a quest or finishing school is becoming a noble. Nobles are the form of government, and get to know all of the secrets and truths of the world. These things are greatly concealed by the nobles, and normal members of society have no knowledge of them. The nobles are extremely secretive and fraudulent, which is greatly unknown. Anyone who claims to know is punished by exile or is sent to Regnebrarum, the punishment realm.
+91 words

How common is magic, and are all characters aware they possess it?
Magic is extremely common, it lives in everyone. But in order to access it, they need to be aware of the magical abilities they posses. The nobles have made sure that nobody is aware of their magical abilities. They are worried that if one person knows, they will tell everyone else. Then, they will find out all of the secrets the nobles have and unleash a mob of magic to overtake them. If someone somehow finds out, they are banished from the country and a fake death is staged.
+89 words

What are the limitations of your world’s magic?
Magic is completely limited in every way. No one who currently resides in the kingdom besides the government know that these magical abilities exist. The government has purposely kept this information classified purely out of their fears of revolution. They are extremely controlling and fear that if magic is well-known, the people will band together with their abilities and strip the nobles of their power. For this reason precisely, magic is limited in so many ways that most haven't a clue they posses it.
+84 words

How is magic viewed in your world (ie. as a boring normal, as a fascinating element of their life, or as a curse on society etc.)?
Magic is viewed, by those who know of it's existence, as a threat and a problem. It is believed that it would give too much power to the people and that they would overthrow the power hungry nobles. They also think that if they are aware of the magic that the nobles have kept secret for years, they will begin to realize the other things that have been kept from them. These things make for a bad viewing of magic in Implenium.
+82 words

How is the education system in your world? What do your characters learn (or hypothetically would learn)?
The education system varies depending on the sector. In Centrum, education is greatly valued, and almost everyone gets one. In Sancturarium, the schools are more spread out, and are much smaller. In Terigium, there are many schools nearby. All children are required to attend school. For education, children start out by learning basics like math, history, and reading. Later, it moves on to jobs, economics, social class, and customs. Those who are lucky move on to nobility school, where they are to learn the ways of nobles. People who are placed in nobility school are called pre-nobles.
+97 words

What happens when magic gets out of control in your world?
Long ago, before magic was banned, it got out of control, or at least that's what the nobles say. They say that a few people possessed magic, and passed it on to their ancestors. Eventually, the ancestors became evil and committed treason. The nobles say that the magic turned them evil. According to the story, the nobles took their magic and locked it up, and eventually it died. This could be true, or this could be another on of the noble's lies.
+82 words

Does magic affect the government of your world? If so, how?
No, it is actually quite opposite. The government affects magic. They lie about its existence in order to maintain control over their country. They say it died out long ago, or that it never existed. Anyone who says or believes it does is locked up in Regnebrarum before they spread these “lies”. The government is extremely controlling over the magical system, so much that all citizens believe it does not even exist. So the answer is both yes and no.
+80 words

What is a folk tale you have heard that involves magic, and how can you take inspiration from that tale?
I don't totally understand this question, but assuming you mean outside of my story, I'd say that a folk tale might be Cinderella? I don't know, that's the first thing that came to my mind. The magic in Cinderella is transforms things, which you could definitely incorporate into a story. It could be a special kind of magic called transfiguration, which is also used in Harry Potter. Hopefully I answered this question correctly? If not, there is the story of how magic was passed on, but turned people evil in the story. Citizens of Imperium DEFINITELY take inspiration from that.
+100 words

What are some noteworthy examples of problems (in your world) that characters solved with magic?
In Imperium, there is one legend that has been passed on about magic solving problems. The other stories do everything but encourage the use of magic, by saying it is bad or turns the user evil. The story says that there were some nobles who spoke Latin who could not find a place to live. These nobles supposedly possess magic, and used their magic to create Imperium. It is also said that they could read the future, so they filled it with architecture that would fit the modern times.
+89 words

All of part two together is 891 words

Part 3

Hidden Worlds
Sasha tried to conceal it, she truly did. However, these extreme conditions do not make it easy for on to lie.
“Did you, or did you not reveal to a mortal about our world?” A judge spat, shining the light in her eyes.
“I- I did. . . .” Sasha finally admitted. “I'm sorry.”
“You think ‘sorry’ will cut it?” Yelled another. “You have told a human that another world exists- OUR WORLD.”
“You have put us in grave danger!” The first one exclaimed. “What shall your punishment be?”
Sasha knew the old trick. Tell them that you accept the worst punishment possible and that you understand your actions were terrible, then wait for them to let you go, saying it was good for you to be honest. Sasha gave it a try.
“I'm extremely sorry, and I'll never do it again.” She said. “And I fully accept the worst punishment you can deal out.”
“Good.” one of the judges growled through gritted teeth. “Then death it is.”
“Wait- what?” Sasha was taken aback. She knew these judges were the toughest in the world, but she didn't know they were willing to kill people. “Can you really do that?”
“No, of course not.” A soft male voice said. Sasha followed the voice until she saw her great uncle's face. She had forgotten that he worked that this court. “The worst punishment we can deal is exile, but I do not think that will be necessary.”
“What do you mean?” The second judge practically screamed. “She told a MORTAL about our world!”
“Yes, I know.” Her uncle tried to reason. “But she did not tell them the location of the entrance or that she lived here. In fact, we haven't even heard her story, simply the one the reporters told.”
The judge gave the “fine” look and slumped back. Sasha's uncle gestured for her to tell the story.
“I was walking in the mortal world-” Sasha paused when she saw the “aha!” look mixed with the “I told you so” look on the second judges face, but ignored is and continued her story. “When I saw a hurt man. I offered to call an ambulence, but she said he'd rather I just took him to his house. he must've hit his head, because he couldn't tell me where it was. He asked if there was anywhere I knew of close by to take him. I saw the teleportation crystal through the pub window and said I did.
”He then asked where it was, and I said ‘it’s a different world, but it's only a few minutes away.' He looked at me like I was crazy and crawled to find someone else to help him.
“So that means I was correct.” Her great uncle smiled. “Her actions had good intentions and do not threaten the safety of our world, therefor it is not punishable by exile.”
+481 words

Science Fantasy
Arnold was spinning so fast, his vision became blurry. His friend, Naomi, had said that she had built a time-travel machine, but when her stepped in, he hadn't expected it to actually work! When they landed a few moments later, in their world, Naomi was failing to find a way to get them out of wherever they were. The were in Naomi's garage, that was true, and the time machine was still there, but they hadn't a clue where in time they were. They had just been hoping that Naomi from this time wouldn't see Naomi from where they had started. If two of the same people from different time periods see each other, that person is permanently wiped from existence. Nobody remembers them, or that they ever existed. This is why they freaked out when both Naomi and Arnold from this time period walked into the garage from Naomi's house, as they had done just moments before and stepped over to the time machine.
“It really works!” Naomi insisted. “I swear!”
“Yeah, sure.” Arnold rolled his eyes. “Show me.”
The other Naomi and Arnold ducked behind Naomi's father's car as the other Naomi and Arnold looked their way.
“Did you hear something?” She asked.
“Nah.” he responded.
“Well, here goes nothing.” Naomi said as she pulled him into the time-machine.
As they disappeared, the other Naomi whined.
“I've created an inescapable loop! We'll never get out of here, and more and more of us won't either.”
“Hold on-” Arnold thought out loud. “Will they appear in the same realm as us?”
“Probably.” Naomi wiped a tear away.
Then, another pair of Naomi and Arnold appeared next to them. When everyone understood Arnold's idea, they waited for the next Naomi and Arnold to walk out the door, which they did. Both pairs of Naomi and Arnold stepped out from behind her car and smiled at the terrified looks on the other Naomi and Arnold's faces. Amazingly, non of them disappeared.
“Take everything literally” Arnold smiled. “That's the key to time-travel.”
+340

Urban Fantasy
In the dark alley, where she always was, Emberly sat. She was waiting for Zeke, the only thing that could make her happy in this cruel world. Any time she wanted to see him, she could jump off of the fire escape on the back of her dark, dusty apartment and call him. When he rounded the corner of Elm and Birch street, they locked eyes. His paced quikened, and when he reached Emberly, the engaged in a long embrace.
“I missed you.” she whispered.
“We need to go,” Zeke muttered, hating himself for ruining the moment where they had been so close. “They are right behind me.”
“Why are they chasing you?” She asked in a whisper, walking over and standing beside him.
“They saw me sneaking out- you know they don't like you- or me liking you. . . .” Zeke answered, staying in place.
“I don't care what they think, and neither should you.” Emberly said as she reached for his hand, which he took.
Zeke avoided eye contact.
“Run away with me. Run with me to Armstown- escape this city. You are being controlled- they don't want you around, they just want to use you.”
“No, I can't, Emberly. And you know it.”
“Come with me, please.” Emberly demanded sweetly, pulling him over to the trash can that would teleport them do the other dimension where Emberly lived, Armstown.
“Fine, just this once.” Zeke said, unable to say no to the look in her eye. She was right, after all. His bosses knew of his dwindling patience with Emberly, they knew that if they didn't keep him close that he would leave with her. They knew he'd be gone, and with him, so would Emberly. Their target. But Zeke still let her take him to Armstown, knowing that it might be his last chance before Emberly was eliminated. Still, he also knew that going with her would decrease her time, and increase the risk, but he knew she wouldn't say no. And so they enjoyed their last days in Armstown together before everything changed. . . .
+345 words

YESSSS I FINALLY FINISHED A WEEKLY! MY FIRST THIS SESSION YESSSSSS I KNEW THE FACT THAT I GOT 22 WAS LUCKYYY YAYA I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE HOW EXITED I AM YAYYYYYY

So, here we go.

Part 1: 1125 words
Part 2: 891 words
Part 3: 1166 words

Total words: 3182

Weekly #3 | Horror Rift | @AesthticBoba | _ _ _ _ points! | Be back with part 2 and 3!"

Part 1!

Plains/ Highlands setting
Fairy empire, ruled by a young girl
Lots of EmpathyL
Farmer most valuable job
Huge empire
45 council members
Animals are always kept as pets
Very humid
Every Age has the same rights
Romance always encouraged
Strongest Empire
Barely at war
Cottage Core
Very interesting hobbies
Unchanged laws
Many outside contacts
Flying toadstools for transport
Any negativity is frowned upon
Smartest empire
Biggest empire


Connections | 321 words |

Out of all the empires the world is split up into, each with its own environment, the fairy empire is perhaps one of the most crucial. Its highlands/plains are filled with flowers and cottages, the castle, heart of the empire, is up in the sky surrounded by clouds, accessible only by flight or invitation from the queen herself. The farmer is the most valuable job in the fairy empire due to the importance it has to the land. The harvest is the only source of food due to the fact that even if the enchantopians had a choice, they would never eat meat. Because no one eats meat, animals are most likely always kept as pets! Romance has been encouraged for generations since this empire is home to the only fairies, elves and pixies on the planet and reproduction would be needed to keep the fairy race alive. Although they are known to be one of the largest and strongest empires they are barely ever at war, probably because of how they are also one of the smartest lands. Their laws have been left unchanged for many years and only been tweaked if needed (such as a royal can only marry another royal, gay marriges, etc) The fairy empire also has many outside contacts that they hold very friendly relations with, they never really have problems with others, another reason why war rarely occurs and are a role model to the world. They take inspiration from other empires and take law advice from them as well. This empire also uses flying toadstools for transport, while all its residents are winged, due to the magicness of the empire and land many others come to visit the oldest empire, -besides who doesn't have those days where their wings don’t work? And finally the fairy empire has a young queen, at only 18 years of age, this represents the empire's eternal youth and leadership.


Narrative | 420 words |

I woke up to the sound of my maids coming into my room, I was asleep on a desk, reading letters from different empires about war, meetings and relationships.
“Your highness, breakfast, perhaps you should take a break from work” Said Arabella, my first hand maid.
“Why thank you Arabella, it looks delicious.. I should hurry though, I have a meeting with the emperors.” I said, closing the blinds and ushering Arabella out the door as I changed. I wore my most expensive dress and hurriedly got to brushing my long silver hair. I soon unlocked the door, opened the blinds and ate my food. I rushed out the palace door and took a cloud over the town. The farmers were busy at work harvesting the glowing tildumberries. Below me I saw dozens of people paying respects to me and heard my name as well. I was about to hop down and talk to them when suddenly-
“Q-Queen Evelynn, so nice to finally meet you!” Huh? Who was this guy? He wore the classic ocean empire clothing and was riding on a toadstool and it seemed as though my cat had made it to his toadstool.
“Oh… err.. Hi? I haven’t seen you before!” I said, cringing, that was no response for a queen! “Please just call me Evelynn, a member of the ocean council is on friendly terms with me!” I took out my wand and extended my cloud to reach the man and then sent his toadstool down, my cat chi-chi taking this by surprise and popping out her wings to fly to me. As for the man, he was a beauty…
“Err.. I have been sent to take you to the empire meeting, I’m a new council member, the prince actually- but your empire.. it’s… it’s… amazing! I mean an empire as beautiful and smart as this one must have a beautiful and smart empress like you…” Oh my god he was so cute, and around the same age as me, but what he had requested on behalf of the ocean empire made me question wether he was using me or not. “So I was perhaps wondering” He said “We are at war with the fire empire, never got along really, but with war tactics such as yours we would have great help!”
“Sorry, we don’t stay involved with wars… I’ve got many other outside contacts that could be of great help though!” I told him. Gave him a toadstool and a note, turned around, and left.

And I just thought that weeklies would get easier ;l

woo

bouquest wrote:

And I just thought that weeklies would get easier ;l

yeah ;-; BUT I'M DESPERATE TO WIN

-springskies wrote:

bouquest wrote:

And I just thought that weeklies would get easier ;l

yeah ;-; BUT I'M DESPERATE TO WIN

Well there’s no modification in my pockets

keeping this for my weeklyy

Part 1 (872 words)

Brainstorming
- World full of forest +
- Lots of lakes +
- Rare, expensive gems are scattered around the world +
- Mountains border the main part of the world +
- Water is on the other side of the mountains +
- Different provinces ruled by elected councils +
- Different groups of provinces overseen by three elected leaders +
- All groups are overseen by an all-ruling elected man and woman duo +
- Most people are quiet and stay low
- Most people live in a small hut
- Most people have a small family, rarely more than two children
- Seniors live separately
- Most people receive slightly more than enough for necessities
- Red and flames are represented with evil +
- Blue and rain are represented with good +
- Light pink and flowers as represented with peace +
- Uses soft magic
- Magic is rare
- People with magical power are treated harshly
- Prophecy drives people
- Destroying trees without governmental permission brings consequences, decided by the councils of the group

Connections (the ones with +’s)
Surrounded by a forever-going water, bordered by impossible-to-climb mountains, the unknown land of Amidol lies. The land is full of forest with blooming pink flowers, and bright blue lakes are densely scattered across. Different provinces defined by weather, geographical areas, and more are ruled by elected councils. Those provinces are further sorted into groups, overseen by three elected leaders. All the groups are supervised by a duo of a man and women, who are elected together. Each province has a governmental building, where the council works. One section of land in the middle of the whole land is reserved for the man and woman duo where the Grand Blue, and the other governmental figures sometimes visit. In each governmental building, rare, expensive stones, mainly blue and pink, called hadgenos are in some rooms, and in the reserved land for the duo, almost every room, showing the power. The walls are painted blue, which represents good, and almost everything has no red, which signifies evil. Sometimes there is pink, standing for peace. You can’t confuse red with pink – they are almost completely different. These colors are the main colors for the entire land. Slight tints little variations differ between every group and province.

Narrative
The prophecy of life, it is heard everywhere. This is ‘the meaning of life’, they say. It is heard all over Amidol. It goes like this:

The forest is us,
And we are the forest.
We seek the one who goes,
Beyond this limit.

They will bring prosperity,
Will bring us power.
Will bring us everyone wanting to be in this democracy,
Will bring this forever.

We will honor this person,
Make them our highest.
Put them behind the opening curtain,
Bow to them, the greatest.

Work hard to become,
Be forever good,
To be this one,
To be forever told.

The government says everyone needs a fair chance at being this one. And people with magic, they say they cheat. They can cheat with magic, so they treat them harshly, to say the least. As a magical, that’s what they call us, I must keep my identity hidden. Everyone thinks I’m a regular person, as I want them to think. I want magical equality. I will be that person. I would hide my identity, work hard, acting like a regular person. I would re-write all the textbooks, making magicals included. They would allow that, since I am that one… right?
A knock on the front door interrupted my thoughts. My mom quickly came to answer.
“Hello madam. I’m Trevor Sultim, a loyal governmental magical for the Himan province of Amidol. We are here for the yearly check.” The man behind the door said.
“Yes, go ahead.” My mom stepped out of the way.
I had to act quickly. If he is a magical, then he can tell who is magical, even if they are using their magic to try and hide their identity. And he is loyal to the Amidol code. If he, or even if his camera with live video on him sees me, then I’m a goner. I’ll be reported, and who knows what will happen. This year, I have heard, he would put cameras in our hut. Cameras that point out magicals. I can’t live in my house. So, I did what I had to do.
I quietly went through the house, avoided this Trevor guy, and slipped through the back door. I then ran. Ran as quickly as I could through the wet, dense forest of Himan. I don’t know where I am going, but I ran away.
I ran forever. I ran until I was exhausted. Since I am a magical, I had more stamina, but I still can run out. I sat down, about to take a nap, when I noticed the mountains. I was almost at the base of one. My house was already near the edge of Amidol, but still quite far. Somehow, I had run all the way here. I smiled. I was going to make the prophecy come true. If magicals are going to be accepted, this is what I must do.

Part 2 (987 words)

How is the magic in the world used in the character’s everyday lives? What are the different abilities?
If you have magic, you need to stay low. If not, you would get caught and treated harshly, to say the least. Each person with magical abilities can tell who is also one. If a loyal governmental magical, someone who has magical abilities and is loyal to the government, sees you, it would be bad. They would tell that you are a magical and report it. To survive, most need to act like a normal person, not using any magic. Magic is different for every magical. Each one has a broad category of something they can do, and they can do most things in that category.

What is the origin of your magic?
People with magic are born with it, and it isn’t usually passed down. The magic comes from a magic core inside them. It then quickly passes through the air to do the desired effect. The magic is barely visible – it looks like an almost-transparent wisp of air with a slight color that depends on the magic user. It moves swiftly, so most of the time, you can’t see it. Only the best cameras or people with great eyesight can see it.

How can your world’s magic aid character development?
For people with magical abilities, they would become aware of their surroundings and defensive since they are not allowed. To avoid their identity to be revealed, they stay on guard, stay low, and don’t communicate much. For regular people, it doesn’t affect them much. They must report a person with magical abilities if they suspect there is one, so they are a little more observant. For governmental figures, magic makes them more observant as well, but more than the regular people. They need to observe anything that signify having magical abilities.

How common is magic, and are all characters aware they possess it?
Magic is not common. It is usually slightly less than one percent of the population that has magic. It doesn’t pass down, so someone with one or more parents with magical abilities has the same chance of someone with parents with no magical abilities. Characters with magical abilities unlock the power when they are three years old. Then, somewhere in the back of their brain, it tells them how to use it and what it can do, even though they didn’t do it before.

What are the limitations of your world’s magic?
People with magical abilities have a broad category for what they can do with magic. Some examples are magic related to sound, magic related to time, etc. Other than that, they can do almost anything in that category. Magic is really rare, and even the ones with magic have a low chance of being able to survive and be able to teach you. They might not even meet you. So, there isn’t someone to teach you how to use it well.

How is magic viewed in your world?
Magic is viewed as something people can use to cheat with, to cheat with life. They have a prophecy, the prophecy of life, which drives people. Someone with magic has an easier way of achieving that prophecy, since they could use their power to help them. It is rare and seen as a glitch that should ‘be taken care of.’ Normal is no magic, and people with magic are seen as a ‘threat’ and something that ‘can threaten our peace.’ However, there are some magic sympathizers, who would also be treated unforgivingly.

Compared to our modern society, what do the characters do differently in your world, now that magic is incorporated?
People must be aware of anything that seems to lead to someone having magical abilities. Magic is illegal, so people must find anyone suspected of having magic. Some people are magic sympathizers, who would also need to be reported. Everyone needs to report any people with magical abilities and magic sympathizers. People should act normal, so they don’t get reported, if they are or are not someone that should be reported. Other than that, basically all things are the same.

Are there any sensations the characters feel when they are using magic? Describe these sensations using their five senses.
They would see a little wisp of colored air floating in the air, barely visible. It is colored, and the color depends on the user. They would feel some light breeze on their skin, made by the wisp. They would hear the little sound of a breeze, from the wisp as well. They would smell a little scent from the wisp of air, which depends on the user. They would also taste a little bitterness as they use their magic.

How is the education system in your world? What do your characters learn (or hypothetically would learn)?
Almost everyone is homeschooled, but a small percent with lots of money can send their children to a small school. In homeschooling, the kid’s parents teach them basic necessities – simple math, basic reading and writing, why common things happen, and history of the world. They also teach them the prophecy that drives people and about people with magical abilities. In a small school, they teach more complex math, more elaborate reading and writing, more things are explained, and a deeper history of the world.

Does magic affect the government of your world? If so, how?
Yes, my world’s government is affected by magic. There is this prophecy that drives people to work hard and be good, and they think that people with magical abilities have an easier chance at doing it and may be not as good as someone without magical abilities. The government in my world says it is illegal to have magic because of that. The government treats any person with magical abilities poorly, and they make it impossible for them to complete the prophecy.

Part 3 (1100 words)

Dystopian Fantasy (341 words):

I go to the forest, dense with trees. I find the circle of the thin white trees, and then walk to the tree pointed north. I made sure that all the trees were blocking the camera before pressing a spot on the tree with a unique marking on it, and it clicked like a button. I immediately walked forward, since this would only hold for another five minutes.
I approach a little old hut. My five minutes were almost up, and I quickly entered it before it faded away. Inside the one-room cabin, I spin the old, little symbol of the secret rebellion one full turn before pushing it in.
Immediately, the ground below me slides open. Below, a ladder led to what seems like pure darkness. I descend downwards and close the hatch. A clicking sound happened, and I know that the trap door was hidden from view.
Once I reached ground, I took a breath. The room that this led to seemed like an empty space of only a couple square meters. But there was more. I stomped down on the ground with magic in my foot to fall onto a padded surface. The door closed above me, and I go greet my fellow rebellion friends.
“Finally, Lance is here. That’s all, right?” The head of the rebellion, Maranne, announced.
Everyone nodded their heads.
“Okay then. We would review our plan, and then start phase one. We must start today. We are already behind schedule, and even one more day and we have no chance at this working. It is already a long shot, but it is better than doing nothing. Understand?” Maranne told all of us. She got nods again. Then she explained our complex plan again, and we started executing it.
It was exactly noon, and I looked back at Maranne. I got a nod of approvement, and I climbed the ladder on the other side of the room. I came back to the old hut, and I swiftly ran out. We could not waste a second.

Hidden Worlds (398 words):

I was visiting my cousin’s, Matin, house. My dad drove me up to his garage, and we rang the doorbell.
“Hey! Welcome in! And my god, Sandy, you have grown so much since last time we have seen you!”
“That’s because that was two years ago,” I murmured quietly as my family entered.
“Martin, why don’t you show Sandy around? We would talk over some stuff with Uncle Henry and Aunt Daisy and then we could give them a tour ourselves.”
“Fine.” Martin replied. “Go to my room first, it is the one on the right of the upstairs hallway. I’ll meet you there in a minute.”
I walked up the stairs, and as told, I went to the rightmost room. I entered and observed. Martin’s bed was on the lower left side of the room. A huge window was on the opposite side of the door, and his desk was beside the window. There was a little drawer with three cabinets, stacked on top of each other. It was on the right side of the room, just sitting there, lonely. There were two strange rocks on it, and I decided to check it out. I was just about to grab one before Martin barged in.
“Hey, sor- wait, don’t touch that!” he warned. Before he could prevent me though, I accidentally touched it slightly. I got dizzy, and I sat down and closed my eyes.
When I re-opened them, I was in a different environment. Behind me was a wall of rock and stone, and in front of me was a plain. I could make up towns far away, and I saw a city just beyond that.
“Intruder!” A man appeared and said, pointing to me. Suddenly, a group of people appeared. “Get her!”
Before they could take a hold of me, Martin appeared and grabbed my arm. He teleported the two of us away, hidden from view of the group.
“I told you not to touch that.” Martin sighed. “That was a teleportation stone. I forgot that you weren’t a part of here. Should’ve hidden it.”
I just stared at him as he took a rock out of his pocket, the second stone that I didn’t touch. He murmured something, and then we returned to Martin’s room.
“I’ve got so many questions.” I asked.
“Go ahead,” Martin said grudgingly. “Don’t want you bugging me all day.”

Science Fantasy (361 words):

“How are you, Adalyn?” Poppy, Adalyn’s AI, asked.
“Bored.” Adalyn said, slumping on her floating chair.
“Would you like to play a game of chess?”
“You always beat me.”
“Hmm. How about we go on the flying train to Trath to train? According to my data, Trath is the best place for training. They have great training shops with cheap prices.”
“But the flying train is so expensive…”
“The final old-time speed train would take a full three days to get to Trath. The flying train would only take ten minutes. And the flying train is a better deal. You have the money; you are a sorcerer! You also need training. If you are going to be a high sorcerer, you need training.”
“Fine, fine.”
Adalyn made Poppy into a more portable state, a little disk as she went to the flying train. She bought a ticket, and soon they arrived at Trath.
Adalyn made Poppy her original state again and asked, “Where should we go?”
“Just over there.” Poppy gestured to a big store.
“Kelly’s Training Pods. Interesting.” Adalyn remarked as she entered. A young woman soon came up towards her.
“Hello there! I’m Penny Hollows. Do you want to order a pod? We have plenty of each pod open.”
Adalyn looked at each type. There was basic, advanced, and sorcerer’s training. “I’ll get a sorcerer’s training pod.”
“Okay! I’ll lead you right there.” Penny led them to a giant room with a steel door, which she opened it. “Have fun training!”
Adalyn and Poppy entered and shut the door tight.
“Hello there, I’m Harper. I’ll be your trainer today. Any watchers can be seated in the magic-proof see-through room on the left. We’ll start with a warm-up, Huthan Beast.”
As Poppy went to the room that Harper explained, Adalyn defeated the beast with ease.
“Good job! Select an opponent.” Harper explained.
There were three choices. Adalyn chose Manstie Beast. She defeated it quickly.
This went on for a long time. Adalyn was enjoying it. When she had finished one hour and left, they returned to Adalyn’s apartment.
“Told you Trath wasn’t a waste.” Poppy remarked.
“Yeah, yeah.” Adalyn smiled.

Bellevue91 wrote:

Part 3: Joint Workshop (written by Birdi)
In this section, you will be reading this joint workshop made by the amazing Sun, Cae, Gee, Willow, and Moss <3 on fantasy genres. Once you have read the workshop, pick three of the genres and write three different 300 word pieces for each one, so 900 words in total. Examples of each genre are below.

Steampunk Fantasy example (Written by Zai)

Turning the corner, Axel approaches the locked room, key in hand. He had been told Jarvis would be in this room completing unfinished business, and it would have been rather impolite to interrupt his studies, but alas, Axel had an important request to make.

Inserting the key into the lock, the gears on the door begin to turn. Panels begin to fold away from the doorway and after a few grunts and creaks from the contraption, Axel walks into the dark room. He makes a mental note to offer Jarvis more lubrication grease to quiet his door.

“Good evening, Jarvis. Apologies for this untimely interruption, I could not have waited any longer.” Axel walks to a nearby oil lamp, retrieves a matchbox from his leather belt and lights the lamp, turning the knob to make sure the fire is at a lower setting. “It appears you relish working in the dark?”

Jarvis swivels on his chair to face Axel, taking off his night-vision goggles, and opening a small latch to release the trapped steam. “Salutations, Axel. It's not a bother, I had just finished typing up the patent and was interested in a break regardless.”

Snuggly nesting his goggles around the mauve ribbon around his top hat, Jarvis stores the typewriter in a nearby cabinet. He gathers his papers and places them in the overhead compartment above his desk. “I prefer to work in the dark. It aids in… innovation. How is the engine room fairing?”

Axel shakes his head, clearly not interested in discussing the details of his work. “I am not too keen to continue repairing the various pistons that break at the most undesirable times, but I still adore my occupation; it is only difficult every so often.”

“You should sit. I have plenty of chairs in here for you to choose,” Jarvis says, noticing Axel incessantly pacing around the room. “Is everything fine? Has the engine worked you up that unfavorably? The airship is hosting a dance tonight; you should attend. It would keep your mind off of whatever's troubling you.”

Axel reaches into a back pocket, recovering a slip of paper. “That was precisely what I was worried about.” He hands the slip of paper over to Jarvis. “It's an invitation to the dance. I was hoping you would be down to tango.”

“Why, yes. I would like to take you up on that offer.”

—-

Clockwork gears turn in the ceiling of the ballroom. The chandelier projects enthralling shadows of the waltzers, and the extending pistons and valves fire along to the tempo of the dancefloor. Axel scans the room for Jarvis and feels a light tap on his shoulder.

“Perhaps you are looking for me?” Jarvis grins, extending out his hand. Axel eagerly accepts, wrapping his arm around Jarvis's shoulder.

“I would be looking for more than just your face after this is over,” Axel fires back, sidestepping to match Jarvis's movement. “How does the airship balcony sound?”

“Perfect, if it were not for the harpies that would shred us outside.” Jarvis takes the lead, dipping Axel before hoisting him upright. “I do have my energy cannon with me though if you were to wish to sneak off for an extended moment.”

“Why I can defend myself; my cane may or may not have an extendable blade at the end,” Axel whispers, leaning forward so Jarvis can hear. “It's in my front pocket right now.”

Just as Axel is about to give Jarvis a twirl, a sudden gunshot rings loudly throughout the ballroom. From the entrance, a man points a pistol towards the ceiling, smoke rising from the barrel. The machinery above is still functional, but a few of the gears shake disturbingly.

“Get behind me; I can protect you,” Jarvis tells Axel, but he pushes him aside.

“As I said, I can defend myself.“

The unwelcomed intruder trots to the center of the room, letting out a few more gunshots into the ceiling. A few of the dancers scream hysterically while others remain frozen. The machinery above lets out a final squeak before it is rendered motionless. The man devilishly grins, spinning his pistol in loops around his index finger.

”Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your last night on your fabulous airship. I believe it's showtime!"

Dystopian Fantasy example (Written by Birdi)

Every day at exactly 20:00, I crawl into my bed and under the covers so that anyone who might be watching the camera in my room thinks that I’m asleep. Then I carefully pile the blankets on top of each other so that it looks like I’m still lying there, crawl through the hastily made sliding bed frame, and finally lower myself through the trapdoor and into the tunnels.
I hurry along the tunnel – which is unmonitored because it’s nearly collapsed and it’s extremely dangerous to be down here anyway – for a short distance until I start to see the glow of a practicing magi. I heave a breath of relief, as I always do, and I speed up to meet her. We embrace and then we practice together. She manipulates air, and I move things. Or I attempt to. Someday perhaps I’ll be strong enough to fortify the tunnels, but for now I work with lifting small objects.
The government has outlawed magis of any sort. We’re risking our lives in this little passage underneath the ground, but that’s because we both believe in something bigger than ourselves. Someday our talents might come in useful, but not without practice. Around midnight, we bid each other goodbye, and I lift myself back into bed as quietly as I can. I wouldn’t call myself ready for another routine day, but I’ll get through it.

Urban Fantasy example (Written by Zai)

The subway arrives at Canal Street. I look behind me. I know he's not behind me, but I can never be too sure.

I run out of the train and onto the platform. I leave behind the “stay clear of the closing doors” voice and maneuver my way around the pedestrians.

Is he here? Is he following me? I have to keep moving. He could be watching me from anywhere.

I hurry through the turnstile and make my way up the stairs. The tiled walls of the subway give me an uneasy feeling; he could be watching, he could be watching…

I climb out of the underground and into the open. There's the sound of cars and rushing passersby. I put on my sunglasses, tuck my hands into my pockets, and keep moving. It appears I'm in the Chinatown area of Manhattan. There's a mix of English and Chinese characters on the signs of nearby stores.

Suddenly, I feel a tug on my backpack. I try to shake the person off, but he covers my mouth with his hand.

“Don't fight it,” he tells me, trying to grab ahold of my hand. “Let me hold your hand.”

“Let go of me, Zane!” I try to speak, but all that comes out are muffled noises. Zane finally snatches my hands, and before I know it, I can feel my limbs tugged in all directions. The world around me spins. I feel like I'm going to vomit.

We're teleported to a back alleyway. Zane lets go of me. I spit at him.

“Zane, I told you not to follow me; we've already gone over this. The Supernos; almost all of them are corrupt by now. There's nothing we can do to change that. I'm not going to help,” I tell him, pushing him aside and walking back towards the street.

“You can't be serious; what about Fleur? And Shayna? They're waiting on us. We can come up with a plan, we can–”

I close my eyes briefly and reach for something. I try to latch onto Zane's presence, trying to grab ahold of something, anything… and it clicks. I push as hard as I can.

“Matthew, what the heck was that for?”

I look behind me and see Zane at the far end of the alleyway, on the floor next to the dumpster. “I told you, it's not going to work. I'm out. You're on your own now.”

Science Fantasy Example (Written by Sawyer)

“I’m going to get lunch.” Cacklegordon shut her laptop and pushed her chair back. “Want anything?”
Crawfordbroom shook his head. “I can’t shake the feeling that I’m so close to figuring this out.”
Cacklegordon laughed. Crawfordbroom had been staring at the same bones on his computer for over an hour and she couldn’t imagine what he was going to find if he just continued staring. “Alright then!” She threw a bag over her shoulder and headed for the door of the shared office. As she put her hand on the doorknob, the door swung open.
Harilda stood in the doorway. They were a tall engineer who worked at the same science institute. “Good afternoon!” they said with a grin.
“Afternoon?” Crawfordbroom called from the desk. “I could’ve sworn I’d only been here for an hour.”
“It does feel like that sometimes, doesn’t it?” Harilda agreed. “But I wouldn’t have been able to finish this” — they pulled a metallic walkie talkie out of their pocket — “if it was only 10 am!”
Cacklegordon gasped. “Is that for the time machine?”
Harilda nodded quickly. “It’s finished!”
Crawfordbroom slammed his laptop shut and grabbed a backpack that hung from the back of his chair. He threw it over his back. Barely a second after, he put it back on the chair and dug through it.
“Notebooks, pencils, camera, clay…” he muttered. Then he looked at Cacklegordon: “Is that everything?” he asked.
Cacklegordon furrowed her brow. “I think so. But we don’t need to leave right now, do we? I still need lunch!”
“Oh that’s it —we need food!” Crawfordbroom zipped up the backpack and put it on his back. “Well, let’s stop at the cafeteria and get plenty of food for the trip. Then we can get going!”
—
At the cafeteria, they filled a few tupperwares with various soups and salads. Cacklegordon grabbed a plate, but Crawfordbroom stopped her.
“We don’t have time for lunch now!” he said. “We have to get to the time travel machine to see the dinosaurs!”
Cacklegordon shook her head. She couldn’t see the rush, but she put back the plate. “Fine, let’s get going then.”
They put the containers into a grocery bag and went to Hiralda’s office.
The time machine was a giant metal box that almost reached the ceiling. The door was open, and the two paleontologists peered in.
It was dark at first, but Hiralda reached in and flipped a lightswitch. At one end of the box was a small screen and a few dials, while at the other were two seats with large plastic restraints, like those you’d see at an amusement park. Crawfordbroom started adjusting the dials.
“And you’ve tested this?” Cacklegordon asked Hiralda.
Crawfordbroom raised his eyebrows at her. “Of course they have! Come on, we’ve got no time to waste.”
He shut the door before Hiralda could say anything, and then sat down. Cacklegordon sat down and pulled down the restraints. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Crawfordbroom pressed a big red button between the two seats.
They were plunged into pitch black before colored spots popped up and disappeared in their vision, as if they had just looked at a bright light and then closed their eyes. The time machine became hot enough that they started to sweat. When the lights came back on, their hair was frazzled and standing up.
They both sat there recovering from nausea for a few minutes before standing up. Cacklegordon stood up first. Almost immediately, she rested her arm on the chair. She took a few deep breaths and then opened the door.
A man wearing a tall blue hat with stars and flowing blue robes sat in a golden throne. Boiling cauldrons sat on either side of him, and in his lap he held a crystal ball. As Cacklegordon stepped out of the machine, he gasped.
“It worked!”

Hidden Worlds Example (Written by Sawyer)

Brook pushed her blonde hair behind her ear and opened her math book. As she began working on the first homework problem, she sighed. Her dog, Nancy, was lying next to her and Brook patted her on the head. When she looked back at the page, words were appearing. She rubbed her eyes. What? she thought. She closed the book. After a few seconds, she reopened it and found that the problem had been finished for her. She stood up to get a drink of water. Maybe she just had a headache and was imagining it. As she walked down the hallway to the kitchen, she spotted herself in the mirror. Her hair was bright pink — now purple! and now orange! — and her skin appeared to be covered in rainbow glitter. She screeched in surprise.
“Brook?” her mom called from the kitchen. “Is everything okay?”
She stepped into the kitchen. “My skin is—”
“Itchy? Bumpy? Dry?” her mom interrupted, looking at her with concern.
“Uhh no,” Brook answered. “Glittery?”
Had the glitter disappeared? Brook got a glass of water and then went to look in the mirror again. Her skin was still glittery. Could her mom not see it?
She got back to her desk and found that all of her math homework had been completed.
How convenient! she decided. Glad to be done with it, she opened her computer to work on her novel. She stared at the screen. Maybe I should go look at writing memes instead, she thought. That sounds productive!
Brook leaned back in her chair and let her vision blur. In the blink of an eye, she was being sucked into a rainbow tornado that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She took a look around her room before all she could see was rainbows.

She found herself lying on dry, hard dirt. Above her was the ceiling of a large granite cave. She sat up and examined her surroundings. A few purple and pink stones lay near the walls and water dripped from the ceiling. A drop landed next to her and she stood up.

I have a question - for part 3, do all the stories have to be in the same general story/setting, or can they be different? Also, do you have to use the same general story/setting that we wrote in part 1?

nvm got answered

30th

Hello This is my weekly for Adventure! ^^

Part 1:

MAGIC
Everyone has magic except a select few called Seers who can tell when magic is being used.
Utopian world without magic… at least for most of its history. Magic is a recent thing and the people have no idea what to do with it or what laws to use to govern it.
World where magic kills. The more you use magic the less ‘alive’ you become until you fade away completely.
Because of excessive use of magic reality and fiction have no distinction, EVERYTHING is real while at the same time NOTHING is real.
The more magic is used in a single place the more fragile that place becomes. Certain of the most ancient places in this world have ‘cracked’, the fabric of the universe coming undone. But what is on the other side…?
Magic alters reality, can create objects or change perceptions.
CULTURE
People in this world don’t allow the discussion of history because they are too worried about the future.
People in this world value spontaneity and creativity while frowning upon those who are seen as pessimistic or worriworts. Those who admit to fear are shamed.
People with magic are thought to be ‘cheaters’ or ‘unhuman’ because of their unnatural abilities.
Emotion is devalued while logic is highly valued, innocents die because it ‘makes sense’ logically for the good of society, etc.
No adults will explain to their children what happens when you go to their Educational Centers (for magic) because the world is run by the enemies of the schools, tho the government doesn’t know. The schools are building armies to overthrow the government.
Gold, silver, and gems, etc. are not highly valued, while flowers/greenery are extremely precious to people in this world.
Books are not thought to be very great, experience and knowledge, though, are extremely valued.
Rain symbolizes joy because it means new life. Often associated with birth/children.
People often dress formally and uniformly because clothes are mostly given out by the government rather than selected by the people.
SETTING/NATURE
Water is running out in this world, all animals have died so the people have to use plant magic to get food/survive.
World with all sorts of magical creatures, like unicorns, dragons, griffins, etc. but humans are on the bottom of the food chain and need to avoid them to stay alive.
World is very in tune with nature, all technology is based on plant energy. Humans are used as the bridges between tech and nature by using their magic to connect the two.
Entire world is covered in cities and nature is dying. But the oceans are still unexplored, until one brave scientist sets out to uncover the ocean’s secrets, which may save their entire world.
People have cut back on how much of their world they cover, more economically using space in order to save nature. However, after many years of this the forests have grown wild. What lies inside of them?

+ 491

Everyone has magic aside from a select few, called Seers, who can tell when magic is being used. This causes Seers to be regarded as untrustworthy and unable to keep a secret, ironically enough. Magic alters reality, can create objects or change perceptions. However, there are dangers to using magic.
In this world, magic kills. The more you use magic the less ‘alive’ you become until you fade away completely. Most people don’t even use magic anymore because of this. However, this is all a lie. In reality, the government, simply called the Overseers, spreads this propaganda of the risks of magic-use as a tool of control. The government fears what people could do with such powerful magic at their disposal, so they instead convince the populace to stop using their abilities.
However, magic is dangerous in other ways. The more magic is used in a single place the more fragile that place becomes. Certain of the most ancient places in this world have ‘cracked’, the fabric of the universe coming undone. People have disappeared into these cracks, and the Overseers try to hush them up. They claim to their employees that it is to prevent panic, but they actually just want to be the ones to discover what lies on the other side for themselves.
In the past, humans covered the whole world, but now people have cut back on how much of their world they cover, more economically using space in order to save nature. However, after many years of this the forests have grown wild. After the government started sending magicians to explore these forests the cracks began to open.
People in this world don’t allow the discussion of history because they are too worried about the future. Emotion is devalued while logic is highly valued, innocents die because it ‘makes sense’ logically for the good of society. Books and reading are not thought to be very useful while experience and knowledge are extremely valued.
In society, rain is a symbol for joy and new life. It is often also associated with birth and children. While the weak are not typically valued, children are because they are necessary for humanity to continue while others that are less powerful (mentally disabled, elderly, etc.) might not be. People often dress formally and uniformly because clothes are mostly given out by the government rather than selected by the people. Gray dominates the world’s color scheme because bright colors are viewed as a distraction.

+ 212

Kamari walked quickly down the halls of the Headquarters. Her satchel was slung across her shoulders and her hair was mussed, but she didn’t care. She had to speak to the President.
Not that the man was actually elected. No, she couldn’t afford to think that way. Right now she needed him to be on her side. This was too important to mess up.
“I need to speak with the President,” Kamari said as soon as she entered the waiting area adjacent to the President’s office.
The secretary smiled thinly at her. Kamari had been forced to deal with this woman before, and prepared for a barely courteous rebuff.
Which was exactly what she got.
“The President is busy, ma’am.”
As if the woman couldn’t remember her name. Kamari barely contained a scoff. She herself couldn’t remember the secretary’s name, but Kamari wasn’t a secretary. They were supposed to know these things. Names of senior officials should be simple enough to keep track of.
“This is a matter of the utmost importance.” Kamari folded her arms across her chest and put on her most serious face.
Again, the secretary was infuriatingly unperturbed by Kamari’s declaration.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ll have to wait.”
Kamari’s carefully schooled civility shifted to a glower. She couldn’t help it. This woman was just so remarkably unhelpful.
“I’m sorry, but you don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation. I need to speak to the President. I’m not going to wait.” Kamari stalked over to the door that led into the President’s office. She pounded on it, not waiting for a response before shoving it open.
“Sir, I’m sorry for barging in…,” Kamari began, then trailed off.
The man sitting behind the desk was not the president. His appearance vaguely resembled the president Kamari knew, but his features were dull and boring, not striking and powerful. And they were old. The same dark hair was immaculately styled, but it was streaked with gray. A man of about fifty sat in an ornate chair, but he was not the handsome president Kamari had seen before.
At first, his eyes were wide with shock, but he quickly smiled. That sly grin was the same. Could this be the same man? But how?
Kamari stepped back. There was only one way that was possible.
Magic.
Magic, which the government that this president led declared illegal a hundred years ago.
Magic, which had caused the very crisis Kamari had come here to report.
“Hello, my dear. Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

+ 426

Part 2:

In this section, you will be learning about Magic Realism. Check out this workshop created by the brilliant Lily! After that, you will complete a questionnaire. You only need to answer ten of the questions, and each of the questions will be answered with 80 words, which is a minimum of 800 words total.

What kind of magic is used in your world?
Magic has the ability on the small scale to alter people’s perception. It’s possible to use it to disguise oneself or make oneself prettier. In essence, it makes people see things that aren’t there or even feel or smell or taste things that aren’t there. If desired, it can also alter the very fabric of reality, making these changes permanent, though this is much more dangerous. Seers are not magicians, though they have a different ability. Seers cannot be manipulated with Magicians’ powers, they see the reality.

What are the laws of your world, specifically about magic? Punishments?
Magic is forbidden by the authorities, though punishments for it are vague. No real law governs them. All the populace ‘knows’ is that magic is supposedly dangerous (though it is in reality not as dangerous as the Overseers want them to believe) and that the Overseers take away anyone found using it. This has not always been the case, but no one alive remembers a time when magic was freely used and most blindly believe the lie that the Overseers present them.

How can your world’s magic aid character development?
It would be easy to write a redeemed character who was a Magician and used it constantly in order to fit in and even possibly as a tool of control and manipulation to realize that what she or he looked like, or even her magic, did not matter as much as what she did. As well, the magic would create a good opportunity for writing a character who had magic but feared it or resented it coming to terms with her or his abilities.

How common is magic, and are all characters aware they possess it?
Magic is not very common and it is nearly impossible to use intentionally (at least in any big or noticeable way) without teaching. People can make small alterations to things without training, but any big change on people’s perception is very difficult without practice and teaching. However, magic is not taught to anyone except members of the government because it is forbidden. Sometimes members of the government who are Seers will act as spies in schools or even just in normal society) to find Magicians.

What are the limitations of your world’s magic?
While magic can alter a person’s sight and other senses, it cannot manipulate their emotions or cause them to think something they wouldn’t have thought otherwise. Memories, too, cannot be changed with magic, which means magic has to be kept up constantly for it to be effective. Reality bending magic can cause the death of the user if used too much, though no one knows quite how many times that is, which causes it to be unpredictable as well as dangerous. No one really knows how big of a change you can make to reality since that skill has been rarely used (at least in recent time) due to its volatile nature.

How is magic viewed in your world (ie. as a boring normal, as a fascinating element of their life, or as a curse on society etc.)?
Before it was banned, magic was seen as fairly unique but not surprising (to have). It was still viewed and used with caution, but not with distaste by the average person. Certain groups did exist which feared magic more than others, and they eventually gained control after too many tragic incidents, the details of which were hushed up by the Overseers, but which were widely discussed and caused panic. In the end, not too many resisted when the Overseers ruled magic as too dangerous to be used and banned all use. Those who did fight back were taken away mysteriously, though it was quite obvious that the Overseers had something to do with it.

Are there any sensations the characters feel when they are using magic? Describe these sensations using their five senses.
Simple perception magic, when altering your own appearance, feels like a blanket draped over you. It is warm and comfortable, though concealing. Using reality altering magic, on the other hand, makes the user feel scalding hot all over, tastes like iron, and smells like fire. It feels like a snake shedding its scales, as if everything is falling apart and painfully stitched back together. Visually, perception magic doesn’t look like anything other than the object or person now looks like the user wants it or them to. However, reality altering magic makes the surroundings go in and out of focus and appear to glitch. It can sound like record skipping and ripping fabric and a cacophony of voices, it all depends.

How is the education system in your world? What do your characters learn (or hypothetically would learn)?
The educational system, much like the governmental system, is quite strict. Students who excel are likely to go on to some sort of job within the government, while those who do not succeed will generally be placed into some sort of menial, but necessary work. Typical jobs include farming and preparing food, cleaning, being a technician, plumber, or garbage collector, or being an architecture or clothing designer. As for more governmental jobs, becoming a teacher, politician, police officer, scientist, or manager of the lower class are all viable options. Doctoring is somewhat in between. They don’t have any governmental control, but they have better pay and longer education.

What happens when magic gets out of control in your world?
There are devastating consequences for using too much reality altering magic. This tears reality, creating a portal to a different dimension. This place has not yet been explored by the people in the world, but it is filled with chaos and darkness, everything that the Overseers detest. Humans can survive in this place, but it eats away at their grip on reality, slowly driving them to insanity. These cracks suck in bits of reality, becoming black holes that tear away everything real.

Does magic affect the government of your world? If so, how?
The government often uses magic as a tool of control, both by prohibiting it and using it themselves. Fear of what the average citizen would do if allowed to do whatever they pleased with their magic definitely plays into how the Overseers govern their world. Typically the Overseers use magic to make themselves or their surroundings more visually appealing, but they can also use it to prevent their employees from seeing things they’re not supposed to. Sometimes bodyguards who are Magicians use it to conceal their charges from view when a danger is present. Overall, though, most officials do not use it too often to prevent their hypocrisy being discovered.
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Part 3:

STEAMPUNK FANTASY:
Wiping ever-present specks of grease from his face, Charles tried to make himself more presentable. After all, this was the chance of a lifetime, very likely his only shot at getting his inventions noticed.
The entire Court of Scientific Advancement was here. Every one of his heroes, in the room right beside him. He could barely keep his hands from shaking as he made an effort to flatten his dark brown hair on his head. It stubbornly stuck out in every direction, like usual.
“You’re gonna do great,” Penny assured him, handing him his notes, which he slid into his breast pocket..
“I have to do great,” Charles clarified.
Penny’s arched eyebrow made clear that she’d noticed his wording, but Charles simply smiled at her. Despite his churning stomach, he felt better that Penny had agreed to join him.
Her dark red dress was as layered and elegant as ever, and her blond hair was tied up in an elaborate updo that Charles couldn’t even begin to describe, much less understand how that much hair could stay on top of a person’s head. Her blond ringlets seemed to defy physics, but whenever he told Penny that she laughed and told him “Hair is an art, not a science”.
Charles didn’t quite understand the logic behind her statement, but he’d sensed it was a joke, so he’d laughed along with her anyways.
Slipping his hand into his pocket, Charles brought out an old locket that had been his mother’s. He wiped the grimy brass with the sleeve of his nicest blue jacket. Penny looked on disapprovingly, just by instinct, but her gaze softened when she saw what he was holding.
He cracked the lid with great care not to break the old metal. Inside was a tiny photograph, cut crudely to fit inside the locket. It was his father and mother, standing regally despite their cheap clothing. Charles had never understood how his parents had afforded to have it taken, but treasured it all the more because of the mystery.
“It’s time,” Penny said softly, her hand resting comfortingly on his shoulder. “Good luck, Charles.”
Nodding and straightening his jacket one last time, Charles stepped through the door and into his future.
+ 371

HIDDEN WORLDS FANTASY:
Layla was barely able to keep her head down, passing through the wonder-filled streets of town. People called out, advertising their product, or simply yelling unintelligibly, making it difficult to not turn their way. Everything was so bright, so colorful, it begged for her attention. But she needed to prove herself on this mission, lest she not be allowed out again.
With a bright yellow handkerchief tied low down over her pointed ears, Layla’s disguise prevented any human from noticing her as different, but her ignorance of normal human things would surely reveal that she was far from one of them.
Elven authorities limited travel to the human world as much as possible, but luckily for her, Layla was best friends with the prince, and he’d gotten her this job. He couldn’t protect her if she got caught, though. Caught ogling over human things or listening for every bit of information she could about them.
Unfortunately for Layla’s obsession, elves didn’t like humans very much. In fact, they hated them.
However, humans did have something that elves desired very much and couldn’t get on their own. Dreams. Layla’s hand drifted to her bag, which contained a jar especially made for capturing dreams. If Layla could catch just one perfect, wonderful dream, she’d be sent back. She’d have another chance to explore.
A bird called loudly from above the stalls.
Layla was so surprised that she glanced up. This bird was nothing like the pale, gorgeous ones in the elven cities. But there was still something handsome about its intelligent gaze and confident stance on top of the pole.
With her eyes distracted, Layla didn’t notice the rope across her path until she tripped over it.
Crying out, Layla thrust her arms in front of her. The satchel slung over her shoulder slipped off and banged against the hard ground with the sound of shattering glass. No. No. This couldn’t be happening. Layla hardly felt the rough ground scrape her hands and knees. She reached out weakly to grab her bag.
“You okay?” a voice asked.
Then, a hand grabbed hers and lifted her to her feet.
Layla was stunned, staring into a pair of gray-blue eyes, which were narrowed as they scrutinized her. She quickly passed a hand over her ears, making sure the handkerchief hadn’t slipped out of place.
But no, this boy, this human boy, was simply looking at her, worried she might be hurt.
Layla had expected that humans weren’t quite as bad as the elves thought. But she’d never expected that a human might notice her, not because they realized she was an elf, but just because she was, to them, a fellow human in trouble.
+ 450

SCIENCE FANTASY:
Orion stepped up to the door and knocked. His broken telescope, his broken heart, was in his arms, wrapped in its case as he cradled it like a baby.
The door remained closed. He heard no sound from inside the house, which looked like a weird mash-up of modern design and old parts. Metal and wood melded together, not seamlessly, but beautifully nonetheless.
Just as he reached forward to knock again, the door was jerked open.
Orion had expected a crazy old man from the description the bellboy had given him. Before him, though, stood a pretty young woman with sleek dark hair and a warm smile.
“Hello,” she greeted him.
At first, Orion didn’t say anything. He couldn’t quite get over his shock. This was the crazy Thaddeus? What’s up with that name?
“Hi, uhhhh,” Orion stammered. Then he remembered the weight in his arms. “I’m here to get my telescope fixed,” he said at last.
“Whoa, you have a telescope? A real one?! I didn’t even know they made those anymore!” the woman’s eyes were wide and excited. “Can I see it?”
“Uh,” Orion blinked. “Yeah, I was hoping you’d fix it.”
“Oh, right. Sorry! You’ll want my dad. He’s in the back room,” she told him.
Dumbly, Orion followed her inside.
Scraps of metal and tools lay everywhere, and unfinished contraptions made the place look like a minefield. Soft-looking armchairs were covered with blueprints. White curtains let light in, but kept the place from being too bright or hot. It was a mad scientist lab, but with touches of hominess that made the place feel inviting and comfortable.
“Dad?” the woman who’d answered the door called. “Someone’s here to see you!”
Orion had walked up to a coffee table, which looked antique, that was covered in a half-finished design. When Orion tilted his head it looked almost like. . .a wing?
“Oh, I see you’ve found mine. Most of these things are dad’s, but this we’ve been working on together.” The woman touched it lovingly. Like Orion held his telescope.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“I’m Iris, and you are. . .?”
“Orion.”
They shook hands and smiled.
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3,293 words total!