#Byoldervine series

[byoldervine]

Intro/Masterpost

Hiya, welcome! This blog is about my current writing WIP, a queer superhero fantasy novel called Byoldervine, and is basically a space for me to share things with others who are interested and to engage with other writers who have such amazing ideas and themes that can inspire me to keep writing. I'll be sure to add more things as I go along if I think they'll fit here or if I get asked a lot, and as I go along I'll also use this as a master post for links to character sheet posts and other things like that. If you have any further questions about my writing, always feel free to ask, I love answering your questions!

What is Byoldervine about?

The Byoldervine Sickness got its name twenty-five years ago, when the human realm's goddess Byoldervine became the first Celestial to die. Now, another god has fallen ill with the same disease, causing his powers to uncontrollably open portals between his realm and the human realm and thus sending through monsters and myths into a world not prepared for such creatures

Two heroes rise to the challenge; Persephone Foster, an immortal human intent on protecting these otherworldly visitors, and arrogant illusionist Angelus with every plan to bully Persephone off the job. But when the two vigilantes learn of a way to cure the dying god, they must set aside their differences and work alongside new allies as they venture into a realm of fables and fantasy, discovering devious plots and the shocking truths within the conspiracies of their pasts along the way

What are the four realms and who are their gods?

In Byoldervine, there are four realms, each ruled over by a Celestial god;

Aegis rules over Tyrion, a realm filled with angelic beings

Corrus rules over Nexus, which is essentially the afterlife and filled with dead souls and demonic beings

Nordsvark rules over Paracosm, the fantasy realm filled with all things mythical and magical (picture your typical DnD world)

Byoldervine used to rule over Terran, the human realm that's separated from the other three

Basically they're just heaven, hell, fantasy world and human world, if that's an easier way to think about it

Where and when did this project originate?

The concepts that make up Byoldervine have been floating around in my head for an ungodly amount of time, haha. The furthest back I can think for actually getting down to write them would've been around the start of lockdown, when I started writing a silly Wattpad fanfiction of all things (I will not be sharing what fandom it was for, fortunately I never published it)

The plot of the fic revolved around two immortal superheroes that would fight crime in their town, but slowly caught on to much bigger events that they learned were connected to their mysterious pasts and the powers they held. I eventually realised that all I needed to do was change a few names around and I'd more or less have a whole standalone novel, so I decided to write it for real, combining it with other ideas as I went down the line until I had Byoldervine. I'm not using the fic for reference, just the general idea, a character or two and a few plot lines that could be easily separated from the source material. Due to how niche I was working even when I was only writing the fic, I can't imagine there's any real overlap with the source material

Is this a series or a standalone novel? What are 'Unholy War' and 'The Heir and the Cure'?

I originally planned for this project to be a duology, a Byoldervine series featuring Unholy War (the superhero fic turned original story) and The Heir and the Cure (the fantasy realm aspect of the current story, focusing more on the adventure across the fantasy realm to cure a dying god)

The intention was to have them both take place in the same universe, with both stories dealing with different sides of the problem; the fantasy party would work to stop the problem at its source by curing the god of his illness while the superheroes managed the clean-up of safely returning the creatures to their home and handling the collateral damage on the human realm. There would be some overlap, but largely it would remain two separate sides of the same story

I later realised I could get more out of the two stories if I combined them fully; it would reduce character clutter, it would solve several plot-based problems, it would give me more to work with in terms of side quests, etc. Overall I'm very happy with the decision to combine it all into one book - though there will definitely be room to turn this into a series again in future if I want to reuse the universe, and I've already got multiple concept ideas for it that I'm holding back on using until I'm at least done with my first draft of Byoldervine

Master Lists

Character Sheets:

Persephone Foster

Angelus

Kennedy

Byoldervine

Alicia Foster

Ellegaarde

General Harkrow

Queen Wink

Princess Kynne

Clay Acaron

Sy Cantor

Aegis Cantor

Mary and Arthur Foster

Nordsvark Attolus

Lazulai Cantor

Connor Warden

Mullo Cantor

Anessa Cantor

Layni Warden

Weekly One-Shots:

Persephone at a family dinner

Kennedy’s nomad days

Connor brewing potions

Sy’s fashion project

Carpentrio’s coffee shop AU

Other Helpful Posts:

All glyphs

Character Concept Art

[friendfromdsmp]

Got a new secondary blog to cover all my writing stuff! I’m going to use @byoldervine to share facts and rambles about a series I’m writing called the Byoldervine series, which includes the story I’ve been sharing here that’s gained a small bit of interest, which I’m currently calling The Heir and the Cure. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like about my writing, I absolutely love sharing!

[byoldervine]

It was supposed to be a normal mission; find the Paracosian creature, minimise human casualties and other collateral damage, send the creature home through a realm portal and get out of there before we attract the Guardians. Sounds simple, right? Routine. And for the most part, it’s getting there, the job’s getting easier. Fun, even. As a kid I always thought it would be cool to be a superhero

Kid me didn’t take into account how terrifying it is to watch your superhero partner get stabbed through the shoulder by a fellow Guardian

Angelus yelled in pain, I yelled in panic. Sure, we hasn’t always gotten along, but - shit, you know? Angelus could face his final death from this. I mean, I don’t know if he’s an immortal or not - I’d like to think he’s immortal, but hell if I’m the one to test it

The Guardian hardly has time to block my sword when I swing it at their face. I’m not really trying to put up a good fight here since I know I’m not capable of that yet, I just need to wedge myself between Angelus and the Guardian, which fortunately works. At the sight of the sword, the Guardian recoils, then reluctantly retreats, flying off into the night

I open a realm portal back to Tyrion, crouching by Angelus where he collapsed, clutching his wound. “Are you okay?!”

“Do I look okay to you?!” He snaps, breath shaky and quick. What little of his face I can see is all scrunched up and contorted. I gently move his hand away to inspect his wound. “Okay, it isn’t as deep as I thought… I should be able to patch you up, just stay conscious. Keep talking to me.”

I scoop Angelus up bridal style, moving carefully to avoid aggravating his wound. He still yowls in pain, wings tucking in and shuddering violently. “Shit…!”

I carry Angelus through the portal, closing it behind us, and set him on the floor so I have easier access to him. “Keep talking, Angelus. Uh… how was your day?”

“Are you seriously- ngh… asking me about my day right now?”

“If it keeps you talking, then yes,” I confirm, searching around my room for some kind of first aid kit or whatever else. I’m an revival immortal, I don’t plan for this shit. Hell, I commit die just to avoid the hassle of waiting to heal naturally!

“It was… meh… lot of busywork… fuck, vision’s going…”

“That’s fine, try not to panic.” I give up and grab an old T-shirt, ripping it to shreds that I can bandage Angelus up with. “What kind of busywork do you do?”

“None… of your… business…”

I return to Angelus’ side, kneeling by him to start wrapping his wound. “Okay, that’s fine,” I reply, making sure to tie it night and tight to provide the most pressure. Pressure’s supposed to be good for this, right? I need to take a first aid course or something in case Angelus gets hurt again. Or anyone else, but Angelus is most likely

“Keep talking. What things do you like?” I prompt, pushing down on the wound through the cloth. The once white shirt is already staining a pinkish-red. Angelus yells again. Are those tears escaping his eyes?

“Fuck! Shit, shit! Ah! Uh… d-dogs! Dogs! Fuck, I like dogs!”

“Really?” I look to Angelus curiously. “Well that’s new.” “What do you want, a fucking prize?!” He snaps. His eyes are screwed shut right now. I don’t think he’s opened them this whole time we’ve been here. Which is probably for the best, considering I really shouldn’t have brought him to my own room. With the benefit of hindsight, that isn’t really doing much to help the whole secret identity thing, is it? Shit…

“What dogs do you like?”

“Fuck… uh… the spotty ones… black and white…”

“Dalmatians?”

“Yeah. Them.”

At least I’ve got him talking now. “Yeah? Good choice. What do you like about them?”

“Dunno… cute…”

“Tell me more, come on. Tell me about dogs.”

“I don’t fucking know… fucking interrogation…”

“If you keep talking, you keep conscious,” I explain briefly. “That’s one of the few medical things I actually know. Now keep talking, even if it’s just you swearing at me.”

“I’m not fucking swearing…”

Despite everything, I can’t resist the urge to laugh a little at this, if only to let out my anxiousness. “Sure you ain’t. You’re the literal angel, aren’t you supposed to be all ‘holier than thou’?”

“Fuck off.”

“Guess that’s a no.”

Angelus doesn’t respond for a minute. I look closer, then when I see no movement I check if he’s breathing. “Angelus? Angelus, keep talking!” I demand, my tone sharp with worry

“Tired…” his voice is quiet

“I know. Fuck. Just keep talking. It’ll make you better.”

“How…?”

“I don’t know, I just know that you’ll have better chances of surviving if you stay awake. Learned that from experience.”

“… When… you die…. is it good?”

I give him an incredulous look. “Is what good? Dying?”

“Yeah…”

“Well I could do without the process. Nexus is nice, though I’m speaking from a place of privilege. The fuck am I saying, you won’t be finding out for yourself any time soon.”

“Oh…”

“Angelus, I need you to think; is there anywhere I can take you to get patched up properly?”

“You can’t…?”

“I don’t have the knowledge of the resources. You need actual help.”

“… Uh… Anessa… Princess…”

I pause at this, unsure if Angelus is serious or if it’s just the fact that he’s on the verge of passing out. “You mean… you, a fugitive, want me to take you to the daughter of the man who wants you dead?”

“Anessa… she’s good… she knows me…”

“… Is there anywhere else…?”

“No.”

I hesitate, considering my options, but I don’t think I have any real choice; it’s either risk Anessa turning Angelus in to King Aegis or letting Angelus bleed to death on my bedroom floor…

“You’re gonna be okay,” I tell Angelus softly as I scoop him into my arms again. “I know a secret entrance. I can get you into the palace. But if you’re caught, there’s nothing I can do to help you.”

“… Thank you…”

You’ve always had a literal guardian angel- but she’s currently bleeding out on your bedroom floor.

[byoldervine]

Once again laughing about the fact that the main ship of my WIP is basically just a reverse gay panic

Main Character: Fuck why am I feeling this way about him? I can’t actually like him, can I? He’s a man, I don’t like men, do I?! I mean what the fuck is this?! I’m a lesbian! I want a woman!

Love Interest, much later in the book: I have lied to you, I am actually not a man. I hope you can forgive me for my misdeeds and for leading you astray, and I completely understand if this ends everything between us

Main Character, sobbing: Oh thank fuck I love you so much you have no idea how much stress you put me under we need to buy a cat please

[byoldervine]

Do you remember what it felt like,

To be a child falling asleep in the living room?

To feel your eyes closing against your will,

Even as you fought off the siren song of slumber?

The adults all talking amongst themselves about silly grown-up things,

Nothing of interest then, such seemingly pointless drabble,

Because grown-up things, they wear anyone down eventually,

It’s no wonder they wore you down too,

And as if a mirror, their grown-up chatter bores on and on,

Dragging and droning, laboured and automatic,

Children don’t always notice how hard grown-ups work,

For their right to some semblance of ‘fun’ they still dread,

Their minds and bodies tired, worn down over the years,

Years of toiling and troubling and putting on acts,

Grown-ups are always pleasant and happy, never mad or frightened,

And yet here you are, so peaceful, so tired,

The tail-ends of their labours turned into a labour of love,

Working oh so hard to provide a mere moment of peace,

A pocket of tranquility, where the clock seems to stop,

The sand dial slips it’s final grains through the fingers of time,

They say all good things must come to an end,

But perhaps endings, however abrupt or chilling,

Are not always a punishment or cruelty,

And as your vision fades, and you try in vain,

To eke out the last of your strength to keep your tired eyes open,

You feel that comforting final embrace,

Swept up in their arms, too far gone to feel anything else,

But the comfort of being taken to rest,

Gentle coos surrounding you, those who care surrounding you,

Enveloped in a cascade of calm,

Limp-limbed and lethargic, you cannot make the trip alone,

But, of course, you aren’t alone,

Because as those strong yet gentle arms carry you away,

Away to a better place of peace and rest,

Away to heavenly comfort and security only these arms could know,

Away from toils and troubles, from unloving labours,

And a triedness not preying on those merely sleepy,

Away from noses on grindstones and clocks ticking away,

Away from the boring, exhausting prattle of grown-up talk,

You aren’t dreading the end of the night anymore,

Because so long as you can still hear the laughter from the next room,

The final symphony of survival echoing to your sleep-addled mind,

You will rest, and know true peace

[byoldervine]

The Cantor Family

So I've already touched briefly on the Celestial gods in my WIP book Byoldervine, but there's one royal godly family that's bigger than all the others; the Cantor family, who rule the realm of Tyrion

First off, we have King Aegis Cantor, God of Order. Aegis has been referred to by his children as a workaholic and if he's not found in his meeting room or out attending to other business then he's got his nose to the grindstone in his study. He does his best to get his children involved in his work as well, expecting them to attend meetings and functions whenever he requests

Anessa Cantor, at twenty-five years old, is the first born child of Aegis and the heir to the throne of Tyrion. Anessa is a rather quiet person with a strong desire to live up to her father's expectations of her. Aegis has been preparing her all her life to one day succeed him and take up the throne - though Anessa doesn't quite understand why this is the case, considering her father is an immortal god. She secretly wonders if he's grown afraid after the death of his fellow Celestial, Byoldervine, though she wouldn't dare to mention it to him. What Anessa lacks in empathy she makes up for in sympathy and compassion, and she does her best to rule justly and fairly, despite appearing rather stoic at times

Lazulai Cantor is twenty-three years old and, unlike her older sister, is very emotionally-inclined and expressive. She's naturally curious about the world around her, and adores reading and learning about Paracosm and all the fantastical beings there. Aegis brings Lazulai with him whenever he needs to stop by Paracosm, and Lazulai has grown quite close with Nordsvark, who is always happy to share stories about all his creations. If Lazulai were able to do anything with her life, it would be to explore all of Paracosm and discover all the secrets and sensations it had to offer

Sy Cantor is twenty-one years old and identifies as non-binary, though they haven't told Aegis yet and try to hide it from him. Sy can be very lax and informal compared to their siblings, even a little rebellious at times, and is a regular at the Ampitheatre, a sort of opt-in school their best friend Persephone volunteers at and used to attend herself. Sy is very passionate about fashion design and is often working on new pieces or window-shopping at their favourite fabric shop. Sy also doesn't have the best relationship with Aegis; he was the one who insisted they attend as many classes at the Ampitheatre as possible, though he doesn't expect the same of his other children, and unlike the other three he never takes Sy to the other realms on business. The reason why Sy hasn't told Aegis about being non-binary isn't because they believe he'll be mad - that's not really a thing in Tyrion - but because they already believe that Aegis loves them less than he does their siblings and so they don't want to take big risks on how Aegis might percieve them

Mullo Cantor, aged nineteen, is a rather cold and standoffish person who is very aware of his status as the only prince of Tyrion. He doesn't appreciate others telling him what to do, even if it's someone more knowledgeable on a subject than he is, which makes him a struggle to deal with at times when he attends lessons at the Ampitheatre. For all the grief he gives, however, his tutor has noticed just how intelligent he really is; Mullo is incredibly studious, though he expects nothing less than instant perfection from himself, and the idea of trial and error is a dangerous concept to him. Mullo largely attends meetings with the Acaron family in Nexus, aka the realm of the dead, when Aegis requests his company. Mullo very much enjoys attending work meetings with Aegis, and has grown very intrigued by Nexus and how it operates, though he doesn't much get along with its crown prince and heir to Corrus Acaron's throne

[byoldervine]

More character Picrews to share! This time I've got the Celestials of the Four Realms to share - having them all planned out definitely helps me keep track of them in my head

First off is Aegis Cantor, King of Tyrion and God of Order. Since Byoldervine's passing, Aegis has worked hard to protect the beings of her realm from any realm breaches or other threats they may face, even forming the Guardians to oversee events and step in if necessary

Next up is Corrus Acaron, King of Nexus and God of Souls. Corrus largely keeps to his own realm, overseeing the safe passing of all living beings and ensuring all souls obey the rules they are bound to, whether that be by contract or law. He's supposed to be more red but I couldn't get it right using Picrew, gutted about it

Moving on, we have Nordsvark Attolus, worshipped deity of Paracosm and God of Creation. Nordsvark is the original being of the universe and creator of the four realms. He gave life to his fellow Celestials, crafting their physical forms to match their own desires, crafting their realms to match their own desires, aiding them in forging new worlds and creatures and entities

And last but not least, we have Byoldervine, Overseer of Terran and Goddess of Free Will. When Terran, also known as the human realm, was forged for her by Nordsvark, Byoldervine wanted to learn more about the beings her new world possessed. She saw her fellow Celestials forming empires and ruling over the beings of their lands, but she wanted to see what the beings would do without a leader in charge. Instead of ruling over them, Byoldervine lived among them, aiding their growth without involving herself too much. Over time, she began to retreat entirely, only appearing now and again to experience it as a simple human, until the humans largely forgot her existence beyond fables and folklore that expanded into religions and faith strong enough to shape the world, for better or for worse. Her death was not felt by her people, but it shook the other Celestials to their cores - they never knew a god could die

[byoldervine]

I've made some Picrews of some of the characters in my Byoldervine story! Granted these aren't the final versions whatsoever, just some basic concept stuff so I know roughly what I'm working with

First off, we have Persephone Foster, our main character for the story. Pronouns She/They

Next up we have Persephone's best friend Sy Cantor, pronouns They/Them

Following Sy, we have their older sister Lazulai Cantor, pronouns She/Her

Moving on to a much more mysterious character, we have Kennedy, pronouns She/Her

Here we have Kennedy's close friend and ward, Connor Warden. Pronouns He/Him

And last but not least, Connor's older sister, Layni Warden. Pronouns She/Her

I'll absolutely be adding more info on the characters later on, but I'll save that for their own individual posts. I'll also be leaving out the heroes and stuff since I have no idea how to make those in Picrew, so characters such as Angelus will have to wait until I can design them myself

In the meantime, please feel free to ask about the characters!

[byoldervine]

A Change Of Heart - An excerpt from the first draft of Unholy War

My scythe swings down at the Guardian, clashing against their spear. Just as I wanted. With a smirk concealed below my mask, I manoeuvre my scythe to hook the spear and wrench it from their gloved hands, discarding it across the pavement. The Guardian quickly backs up, their allies flocking over to defend them, but the flash of light behind us notifies us all that they’re too late

We turn, watching Angelus as he sends the final harpy back through the realm portal, a final screech escaping it as it returns to its home world. Angelus raises his wings, the white feathers shielding our charge as they go on their way, only lowering when the portal is closed once more

“Shall we wrap things up?” He suggests, golden helmet turning towards me. “We shall,” I return, pulling out a spell tag from my belt

“No, sto-!”

The outrage of the Guardians is cut off with coughing and spluttering when I cast the smokescreen, and Angelus uses his illusions to further conceal us as we make our escape. “Good work today,” he murmurs to me, sparing a slight glance my way. I raise a brow at this, but nod. “Hm. Same to you…”

We tuck ourselves away around a corner while we wait for the Guardians to leave, still invisible thanks to Angelus’ magic. At long last, after combing the area, they make their move, leaving us both sighing in relief. The illusion falls

All is silent for a moment or two as we take a breather from the fight. Then, briefly nodding to Angelus in goodbye, I move to scale the nearest fire escape - that is, until Angelus grabs my wrist. His touch is firm, but oddly gentle

“Can I… talk to you for a minute?”

His words are quiet. Unprovoking. I frown slightly, but slowly nod. “Uh, sure…”

He pulls on my wrist, knocking me off-balance into his chest, where he puts a hand on my shoulder to steady me. My eyes widen in surprise and my mouth opens to ask what the hell he thinks he’s doing, but before I can protest he drapes my arm around his shoulders. His own hand meets my waist, and suddenly our feet are carried off the ground as he beats those powerful wings of his

“Where are you-?”

“Just to the rooftop. Bit more private.”

“Oh.”

He flies us up to the roof and lands, setting me down the moment it’s safe to do so, raising his hands in mock defence. I take a step away to put some distance between us

“What did you need to talk about, then?”

Angelus seems to consider for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. His head tilts between me and the view of the city

“… I… I have to apologise. To you.”

I pause. This certainly wasn’t what I was expecting from Angelus of all people. He takes my silence as permission to continue

“Since that fight with the sand wraith, I just… I’ve treated you like crap, I won’t lie. I know that. Before you even knew me, I was already taking credit for your work, and you still came out just to protect me. And… I was just awful to you, wasn’t I?”

“… You were,” I agree, watching him closely. “So what’s changed here? You’ve gone from an insufferable asshole to self-aware in half a day.”

A sigh escapes Angelus at this, his weight shifting from one leg to the other. “… I thought I had reasons. I thought… I thought I knew who you were. And I didn’t want to put the person I thought you were at any risk. So… I thought I’d take the blame for the griffin to protect them.”

I blink. I hadn’t considered this. “… Who did you think I was?” I ask tentatively, but Angelus shakes his head. “Can’t really say. But that’s why I was being such a jerk. I thought… maybe if I acted like that… doing all the things she’d hate… she’d call it quits. Go home angry, but safe.”

He sighs again, sitting down on the edge of the roof. “But you kept coming back. And the more I tried to push you away, the more you stuck around. You’re so… stubborn… just like she can be.”

I sit beside him, waiting for him to continue. Just watching the stars over the city skyline. It all seems so peaceful. So quiet. As if there had never been a harpy in the streets only minutes prior

“… You’re not her.”

He sets a hand on my shoulder, making me look back at him

“You’re not her. I know that now. And… I’m sorry for treating you the way I have. That wasn’t fair to you. I’m supposed to be-… I want to be better than that. It’s more than just an obligation.”

I don’t know how to answer all this. I bite my lip, considering his words. But nothing comes to mind. Nothing appropriate for such sincere candor

“You don’t have to give me an answer,” Angelus assures, adjusting his helmet. “I know I… well. Frankly I don’t deserve much sympathy for the way I’ve treated you. But I hope you know I mean what I say now.”

“I do,” I nod slightly. “I know.”

“I’m glad.”

And just like that, it’s as if there’s nothing more to say. The silence settles into something of comfort, of understanding. And while I can’t say for certain that things are going to change between us… this feels like it could be the start of something better than our usual bickering and antagonising of one another

A feeling of protection from the chilly air surrounds me as Angelus wraps his wing around me, keeping me warm. I look to him, noticing how he’s staring off at the skyline still. Or is his mask simply not betraying the true focus of his eyes?

“You must be cold,” he notes calmly. “What with that costume of yours.”

I can’t help but to chuckle, and for once, I don’t mean it condescendingly. “Are you still on the costume?”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great look for you - but is it practical? Not in the slightest.”

“Says the guy decked out like a tin can~”

“It’s armour,” he corrects. “Functional. Practical. We’re vigilantes, not models.”

“Yeah, well, your armour is shit.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Clunky as all hell,” I tease. “And real subtle, by the way; white and gold? What are you, a dress nobody can agree on the colour of?”

There’s a pause for a moment, followed by a confused; “What?”

“Oh, right; you’re not from here,” I brush it off with a dismissive wave of my hand. “Never mind. Just a thing.”

“… You’re very strange.”

“Yep, that’s what my therapist said.”

“Of course you’d need therapy.”

“Mhm.”

“I need it after just meeting you.”

“Alright, golden boy, wrap it up.”

Angelus chuckles and removes his wing from me before rising back to his feet. “Still as sensitive as ever, I see~”

“And you’re still just as much of a prick,” I retort, hoping my mask is doing a decent job of hiding my amused smile. “Are you heading off now?”

“I’ll have to be getting home before somebody notices I’m gone,” Angelus confirms. “I’ve used enough bad excuses already.”

“I feel you there,” I nod, sighing. “Gonna get my ass in trouble at this rate. I won’t keep you, then. Have a nice night.”

“You too,” he hums, wings spreading out before he takes off across the night sky. I watch him leave until he’s merely a speck of white amidst the darkness, hardly distinguishable from the surrounding stars

[byoldervine]

Okay so for the first time in ages I’ve actually buckled down and done a good bit of writing (TWO FIRST DRAFT CHAPTERS COMPLETED I AM ON A ROLL HERE! 🎉) but also damn my chapter-by-chapter plan just reads as so stereotypical and cringe and I have to keep telling myself ‘it’s okay it’s just a plan it’s not supposed to be well-written’ but fuck me it’s like I’m reading tropes off a screen and while that literally is what I’m doing at this stage it’s also just… just why?!

God I hope my chapters don’t read the same way but also I have plenty of time to edit them they’re literally first drafts so they not only don’t have an obligation to be good but they probably shouldn’t be good so it’s fine but also it’s not fine and WHY CAN THINGS NOT JUST BE INSTANTLY PERFECT AND COMPLETE I DON’T WANT TO WRITE THE BOOK I WANT TO HAVE WRITTEN THE BOOK DAMMIT!

[byoldervine]

Persephone’s Power - A brief exert from my first draft of Unholy War

The thought causes my eyes to wander up to the rooftops, reminiscing on the time after I discovered my power. I got bold, I wanted to run across the rooftops like some kind of superhero. I think I was about ten when I worked up the courage to start trying. Had a good few failed attempts, but it worked eventually. I’m able to run about up there without many worries now, or at least I was the last time I attempted it.

And then of course after some time I started to grow accustomed enough to it to take matters into my own hands. I knew what happened. I knew I’d come back from it. As crazy as it sounds, it never seemed so much of a big deal to me after that. It was just… visiting Nexus the old fashioned way, so to speak.

And as I finally approach my grandparents’ street, I pass the very spot where it happened for the first time. The road isn’t so busy here today, only the occasional car or two passing by. They’re not stopping. There’s no screech of the breaks while the driver panics and swerves just a little too late. There’s no distant scream from my nan as she finally realises I’ve wandered into the road. There’s no moment of frozen terror where I’m just barely registering what’s about to happen, but I can’t do anything to move out of harm’s way.

I was nine years old when that car crash marked my first death.

[byoldervine]

Elven Lore in the Byoldervine Series

So I’ve made a previous post about sirens in my writing, but now I want to discuss a fantasy race that are pretty much a staple of the genre; elves

Like almost every fantasy race within this series - with the exception of Tyrions (effectively angels) and Nexus Beings (effectively demons and other creatures of the afterlife) - elves are found in the realm of Paracosm, within which they have been native to the Kingdom of Zeilona for centuries. All elves have lengthened lifespans, with the average life expectancy being ~300-350 years, as well as a natural ability to heal plant life. They can’t accelerate growth or revive dead plants, but they can perk up droopy plant life or set small branches back onto trees where they fell from. It’s nothing major and oftentimes not particularly useful for much other than maintaining a garden, though it does attract a lot of woodland beings tied to nature to seek out elves when injured

Elves are technically part of the fae, but their membership is sort of… the best way I can explain it is that elves are to the fae what asexuals are to the LGBTQ+ community, if that makes sense? Nobody can seem to find an agreed upon reason why they wouldn’t be part of the fae, but there is a little frowned-upon discourse about elves not ‘counting’? Honestly I can’t find a better way to word it but hopefully I’ve conveyed the vibe. And just to be clear, nothing against asexuals, I’m aroace myself, this is simply an observation I’ve made concerning certain people in and out of the LGBTQ+ community

So what about the elves themselves? Well, for centuries the elves lived in Zeilona in relative peace, but one day the ruler was overthrown and King Agnos the Usurper took the throne. King Agnos certainly had the form of an elf, but there are rumours that he was another species altogether, though there isn’t a prevalent idea of what said species might be. Agnos introduced dark magic to the elves, granting those who swore allegiance to him the power to manipulate shadows and darkness, ashes, he even trained his few prodigies in necromancy. All this created a divide between the elves; some viewed these new abilities as incredible, but others saw it as undignified and immoral

Those who were against Agnos’ dark magic began to refer to the users derogatorily as Dark Elves, while they themselves adopted the term High Elves. Agnos’ rule was cut short after decades of High Elves resisting and eventually forming a rebellion to assassinate Agnos, leaving the Dark Elves - many of whom had never truly been loyal to Agnos in the first place, simply pledging a false allegiance - without their leader’s protection against the High Elves. This day is known in elven history as the Day of High Treason

They went for Agnos’ prodigies next, slaying the necromancers before they could have any hopes of reviving their fallen king. Only one was able to escape this massacre - Eilonwy - with the aid of her lover Ivy, an earth Elemental. By combining their powers of dark magic and florakinesis, they were able to raise an enormous thicket that formed a barrier between the Dark Elves and the High Elves, protecting the former from the latter. Ivy was lost in the battle not long after this, and in her sheer grief Eilonwy was able to use every last measure of her power to merge Ivy’s soul to the thicket, which remains sentient with Ivy’s soul to this day, protecting the Dark Elves from harm by devouring any High Elf that should get too close

The thicket, which had morphed into a weaving, creeping plant with dark magic pulsing dimly through each tendril and vine, became known as the Tainted Ivy, the High Elves using this in further cruelty but the Dark Elves using it to praise the sacrifice Ivy made and the display of the very magic ‘tainting’ the Dark Elves being used in such a selfless manner, proving their power didn’t make them inherently evil

Eilonwy declared the land encompassed within the Tainted Ivy to be a safe haven for the Dark Elves, a land now known as Blackwood, with Eilonwy becoming the first Queen of Blackwood and the Dark Elves. When Eilonwy passed at the end of her long reign, it is said that the Tainted Ivy grew stronger and larger than ever, claiming even more land, and the Dark Elves believed the souls of the two lovers had been reunited at long last

Queen Eilonwy’s descendants continue to rule Blackwood to this day, the current Queen being Wink of Blackwood. The war between Zeilona and Blackwood has continued with little fruition, though in the last few years Queen Wink’s only heir, Princess Kynne, went missing mere days after a High Elf spy was discovered in the palace and executed, leading the Dark Elves to believe that Princess Kynne was kidnapped by the High Elves, who are denying such an accusation. The heightened tensions have escalated the war stances and resparked the centuries-old rivalries between the elven factions. The formal military-esque warriors of the factions, known as the Drow, are on high alert, awaiting the orders of their respective rulers to launch a full-scale attack on their enemy

[byoldervine]

“If any of us has the charisma to talk the fae into giving up the book, it’s Connor,” Kennedy conceded, gesturing to the tawny-haired man. “But I’m also very aware that you’ll likely talk yourself into a corner and give them the chance to take advantage.”

“Why is it that every time you compliment me, there’s always an insult that follows it?” Connor teased. “Don’t you worry about me, princess, I can handle this.”

Kennedy didn’t appear too certain, her brows furrowed and lips pursed in doubt, but she didn’t stop Connor from approaching the librarian at his desk, the faery glancing up at the newcomer as he neared

“Lovely day, isn’t it?” Connor began with his usual cheerful smile. The librarian chuckled in response. “Certainly had worse,” he agreed. “If the weather stays nice I’ll bring the wee one out for a stroll.”

“Sounds lovely,” Connor’s chin tilted upwards in a friendly nod. “What may we call them?” “We call her Minden,” the librarian seemed to swell with pride when speaking of their child, chest puffing up and head raising just a little higher. “My pride and joy. Do you have any yourself?”

“None for me,” Connor chuckled, shaking his head in amusement at the idea. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about caring for a child. I’ve been told I act like one myself.”

“I’d assume from the rather, ah… determined woman just there?” The librarian gestured to Kennedy across the room, who spared a bemused glance at the pair when she noticed they were looking her way. “That’s a word for her, all right!” Connor laughed. “Yes, she’s one of my companions. Sorry if she was a bit harsh with you, she isn’t the most personable of us lot.”

“I suppose that’s why they sent you,” the librarian chuckled. “Here to convince me to lend you that book of enchantments? Well I’m afraid my answer is the same as what I told your companion; no. Your most lucrative trade wouldn’t sway me on this decision, that book is far too important to be simply given away.”

“I understand completely,” Connor nods, frowning slightly. “I figured it was at least worth a shot, but really I mostly wanted to apologise for my friend. I’ll work on her. Don’t suppose you have any tips from looking after Minden that might come in handy?”

The librarian laughed at this, Connor’s casual lopsided grin seeming to relax him a little more. “Unless grounding her is an option, I doubt I do,” he joked along. “Minden is much more reserved, in any case; keeps to herself a lot of the time. Very passionate, though. Wants to be a huntress once she’s grown.”

“Good choice,” Connor nodded, leaning against the desk. “I work in a carpentry myself, though I don’t personally do the woodwork. Most of the time I’m up the front. As much as I enjoy a chat, I could do without certain customers, if you know what I mean.”

The librarian’s face felt into some scowling concoction of pity, kinship, horror and deep understanding. “Oh, I could tell you stories,” he sighed. “Honestly, your friend is hardly the worst I’ve dealt with, and that says a lot!”

“I once had a customer demand six new dining chairs, all with custom engravings, by closing the same day,” Connor huffed. “That kind of project can take weeks, and we have an earth Elemental on staff. You won’t get it much quicker.”

“What do they expect you to do, snap your fingers and make it appear out of thin air?” The librarian scoffed. “But beat this; earlier today my own neighbour came in screaming about some book she’d checked out two years ago - two years ago! - claiming she didn’t have to return it because apparently she never took it out in the first place!”

“How did she try and explain that?!” Connor laughed at the absurdity of it all. “I don’t know, she was screeching for two hours about how she wanted to take it out but I never gave it to her,” the librarian huffed, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I just want to know how she never corrected this issue after two years.”

“My thoughts exactly!” Connor agreed. “I mean, is she saying she checked the book out and then left without it without making any sort of complaint?”

“Knowing her? Probably!” The librarian threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. “But there’s no use arguing or it’s all just ‘Are you calling me a liar?! For the love of Nordsvark, you are a faery, Fennel, how dare you imply such a horrible thing as that I would even be capable of a lie! Do you have any idea who I am?! One complaint from me and I’ll have you fired!’ and all the other dramatics.”

Connor’s ever-present smile widened even more at this. “I have never felt more understood in my life. Gratitude for the chance to share.”

“Gratitude for listening,” the librarian chuckled, sobering up a little. “I do appreciate the chance to get it out of my system. Now, is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“Actually, there is,” Connor nods. “You see, my companions and I are looking into a cure for a sickness. Byoldervine.”

The librarian winced at this. “Oh. Deepest apologises. But there’s no known cure for such an affliction.”

“Actually, there is one,” Connor assured. “From the studies of the Great Creator himself, if you can believe it. And on behalf of him and his heir, we’ve travelled Paracosm to gather the ingredients.”

“That’s… quite the story,” the librarian commented. Connor couldn’t quite tell if he believed it or not, but he continued nonetheless. “I know. I can understand it’s a little hard to believe. But our search has lead us here for an enchantment or spell that can allow us to gather the Fallow Rose from Porphyria.”

The librarian appeared tired now, letting out a disappointed sigh. “Look, I understand that you seem to be in a rather desperate position, and I offer my sincere condolences. But the book you seek is forbidden, for it contains dangerous enchantments and spells, the likes of which are certainly not to be entrusted to strangers.”

“I would be incredibly grateful if you could make an exception just this once, sir,” Connor tried again, a hopeful smile still on his face. “I completely understand your reservations, but… really, are you willing to let the Creator succumb to the Byoldervine Sickness over a book? We’ll even be more than happy to return the book right away and never allow it to leave your sight.”

“The answer is no,” the librarian answered, more stern now. “Is that all I can help you with?”

Connor sighed, the smile on his face finally dropping. “Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but I’m not in a position to take no for an answer. Please, don’t make me do something we both don’t want to happen.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a warning.”

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Connor sighed again, shaking his head. “I really am sorry about having to do this… Fennel.”

The fae froze, running his mind back over the subtleties of the conversation, following its hidden twists and clever turns, until he realises. “Wait, did you just… how did you…?”

Connor smiled bitterly. “Gratitude, for your name.”

For a few moments, neither party spoke, simply stared at one another, waiting to see who broke first. It was Fennel, in the end, once his moving jaw was able to push words out again. “I… I’ll get you that book, Sir…”

“I would appreciate that,” Connor nodded, watching as Fennel made his way to the back room. He waved the girls over when he disappeared. “He’s getting the book for us now.”

“You really took his name?!” Perianth gaped at Connor, brows creased in horror. “I’ll give it right back!” He defended himself, raising his palms. “And technically I didn’t order him to do anything, he did it on his own-”

“There’s no point in him resisting when he’s bound to your commands,” Kennedy cut in. “I didn’t think you had that in you, Warden.”

“I don’t! Well, I didn’t think I did! Look, it was either that or we don’t get that book, and the consequences from that are a lot worse than something that, at the end of the day, can be reversed quickly and easily! I wouldn’t have done it if we had another option!”

“I guess you’re right, but… it’s still so… you know…” Perianth murmured. “No, I get it,” Kennedy shrugged. “It is the lesser of two evils, I suppose. As long as you don’t exploit it, which I can’t imagine you would.”

“Gratitude,” Connor sighed in relief that at least Kennedy supported his decision. Just then, Fennel reappeared, carrying the old leatherbound book. He hesitantly handed it over to Connor, who smiled appreciatively as he accepted it

“Gratitude. I hope you know I really, truly didn’t want to do that. But I can promise you it’s for a good cause. Your name is Fennel, and I give this name to you as your own.”

Fennel practically collapsed in relief at this, but he remained upright for at least long enough to scurry away before Connor could possibly change his mind. Connor didn’t blame him

“Well that was uncomfortable,” Kennedy remarked dryly. “Now let’s find this enchantment and get to Porphyria.”

The Fae froze, running his mind back over the subtleties of the conversation, following it’s hidden twists and clever turns, until he realizes. “Wait, did you just… how did you..” The human smiles politely. “Thank you, for your name”

[byoldervine]

Forbidden Characters

So I've got a few characters that were originally planned out for my WIP book Byoldervine, but have either been removed from the story or didn't make the cut in the concept phase. I figured it would be fun to introduce them to you guys as they may appear as background characters later on if needed, and I think it's funny to look back on what these characters could've brought to the story and why it didn't fit the vision

First off, we have Perianth 'Peri' Attolus, and to be honest she's the one I'm most upset about losing. Back when I was still writing Byoldervine as a duology, Perianth was going to be a main character in 'The Heir and the Cure', in which Perianth was going to team up with Kennedy and Connor to travel Paracosm searching for a cure for the Byoldervine Sickness. If you've read my other post concerning the Celestials, you might've worked out that Perianth was intended to be Nordsvark Attolus' daughter - her motivation would've been to complete her father's work to find a cure. Perianth is very sweet and friendly, but also quite naive due to her sheltered upbringing. Perianth would've been considered a 'powerless goddess', not worthy of taking her father's place as the realm's deity in the event of his death, though it would later have been discovered that she has shapeshifting abilities

The reason I cut her from the story was the realisation that she served very little purpose to the actual plot aside from providing the inciting incident, and I had this realisation when I figured out that I could combine my duology into one book. Her notable traits were also very easily filled by other existing characters; there's an overabundance of godly princesses already, Sy loves fashion and experimenting with their appearance, Connor is very chipper and friendly, Lazulai has a close connection with Nordsvark that can provide the same inciting incident/plot progression Perianth would have, etc. Plus I figured I'd need to do as much as possible with the Cantor siblings as possible to justify so many names to memorise. Ultimately Perianth was pretty expendable to the plot, even if it sucks that she's been cut

Next up, we have Sadie, who was also originally planned for 'The Heir and the Cure'. Sadie is a selkie who lives on the island of Haffolk in Paracosm, working as a lifeguard to ensure the safety of anyone who may hear a siren singing in the water. Originally Sadie was going to join the main gang after helping them out when they arrived in Haffolk. Sadie is another sweet and friendly person, one who is naturally helpful and curious, though at times she can put the safety of others before her own. Sadie's language is also Mer, which as I've discussed before is largely just a game of humming and singing at a certain pitch and frequency to communicate. Because of this, she struggles to properly communicate with the rest of the gang, but she always does her best despite being largely non-verbal

The reasons why Sadie was cut are pretty much the same as for Perianth; so little plot impact and so many other characters who could take on her notable traits - save for the lanaguage barrier. Sadie wasn't originally created for the story, anyway; she was first created as a Wattpad roleplay character back when I was in my early teens, and I figured it would be good to bring her into the story. I'll likely bring her in as a minor character if I have the current group head to Haffolk, but unless I get to that point Sadie's going back to just being an old roleplay character

This final character is interesting because she was never actually planned as part of Byoldervine at all; Eleanor Stevens was Persephone's half-sister back in Persephone's concept phase, before Byoldervine was even an idea in my head. I cringe thinking back on all this, but back in lockdown I started writing a fanfic (I'm NOT saying what the fic was from, I never published it thank god) whose main character was Rory Stevens. The plot was something along the lines of a superhero team trying to learn the secrets of a new and much more publicly-respected superhero, trying to form alliances and gain an understanding of their mysterious powers and all that stuff while also navigating further plots from supervillains, cultists, demons and even their own manipulative leader. Eleanor was Rory's beloved half-sister who she tries her best to always look out for, with Eleanor even being the reason Rory became a superhero in the first place. Eleanor was a very shy girl working hard to improve her social skills, though when she was with her older sister or anyone else she was already comfortable with, she would be chatting your ear off and making random or even occasionally inappropriate jokes. She also had quite a strong sense of justice, which could lead to her going feral if someone was giving her or someone she cares about a hard time. She was very fun to write

I eventually realised that "Hey, this fic could actually work as a standalone story if I changed some character names around, nobody would even realise it's supposed to be a fic of X media" and Rory Stevens became Persephone Foster for the book 'Unholy War', which by this point is just going to be 'Byoldervine' since I've combined the two books into one. Unfortunately I couldn't work out a legitimate reason for Eleanor's existence when Alicia can always just text her existing daughter back once in a while if she wanted to be a mum again. I could potentially introduce Eleanor as a step-sister for angst if I feel like it, but I don't think I'll be going down that route unless I get a sudden burst of inspiration down the line

But yeah, these are my characters that didn't make it into Byoldervine and the reasons why. It's actually really cool for me to be able to reflect on these characters and realise just how far this has come, especially since Eleanor shows just how far back the general plot pre-dates even Byoldervine's conception

[byoldervine]

First Draft Plan

I'm currently working on the first draft of my WIP Byoldervine and I've currently got a plan worked out for getting a fully edited first draft sorted. I know this probably isn't the way most people would view the work but I've decided to split the first draft workload into four separate stages:

1. Plotting

I like to plot as I write so that I can switch up my plans and adapt to new ideas as I go. I'll plot out about five chapters in one go using bullet points for each new thing I want to happen followed by indented bullet points beneath those to get a little more specific with it. I usually leave funny comments behind as well while I'm there so when I'm coming back to the plotting notes as I write I can have a laugh

2. The Initial Draft

I have one rule when it comes to writing my initial draft; no writing tips involved. I don't watch any writing tip videos, I don't look for advice on how to improve, I don't go back to edit or improve anything. This isn't the editing stage, this isn't even the final outcome of the first draft, this is just making this project exist in tangible for. At this stage, you don't have to worry about how it looks or if it's clear or consise or conveys it in just the way you want. You can't edit a blank page, so get it down so you have the ability to edit

Additionally, if I get to a bump in the road and don't know what to write - say I'm trying to work out X clever solution to Y problem, but while my character is clever enough to figure it out, I'm not - I can just put a brief summary of what needs to happen there in brackets, make it stand out with underlines or bold or italics or highlights, and then carry on from after that scenario. This is acceptable in the initial draft phase, because this isn't even a completed first draft. If it can stop me from breaking my writing momentum, I'll take it and come back to it later. I don't have to be smart or clever here, I just need to dump out a bunch of verbal diarrhoea and call it a day

3. The First Edit

So now I've completed my initial draft (I wish) my next step will, of course, be editing. I like to go through first just amending any SPAG mistakes and filling in any blanks I left in my writing, such as finally getting around to working out X solution to Y problem as we mentioned earlier

Once all the minor corrections and blanks are handled, I properly jump into editing, playing around with different word choices, checking character voices and motivations are all consistent, peppering in little moments of foreshadowing here and there, anything I think can improve the quality of what I currently have and tying it into everything else I have. It's so much easier to edit with fresh eyes rather than trying to do it as you go, and it also helps you to identify certain issues in a way you just can't without time out, such as working out which character is speaking in a string of dialogue without tags

4. The Clean Draft

Finally, I can start putting my chapters together into Google Docs. What I'll do is set it up so both screens are displayed simultaneously, then start rewriting everything from the edited draft into Google Docs. This is the point of full-scale change happening if so desired, rather than just playing with what's currently there. I can still use what I've currently got, of course, but having both versions side by side and writing it all up a second time rather than just copy/pasting it over can help me to think how I'd write it differently. It means I'm thinking critically about each word I put down rather than just reading over it and calling it a day. I haven't done this stage yet for any of my personal projects but I did it for school ones a lot and it really helped, so I'm looking forward to seeing just how much better it'll be now I'm really passionate in the material

It's basically like the initial draft but instead of bullet points and general vibes I've actually got a full reference. Working from essentially scratch is a pain, but with the reference already complete, you can breeze right through, even if retyping a gazillion words takes a good while it's much quicker than having to think about every single detail

Additionally, you can now play with formatting and fonts and all that fun stuff once you've got the clean draft done, and you can have a more accurate sense of how many pages you've got. I'm really excited for the clean draft to be ready to start!

[byoldervine]

The Foster Family

Let's get a look at the concept Picrews I've made for the family of my main character in my WIP book, Byoldervine

We'll start with the obvious; Persephone Foster, our twenty-year-old protagonist. Persephone is a very active and reckless person who can rarely sit still for long. One thing she really enjoys is parkour, and she's trained herself to the point where she can run along rooftops without much worry. She has very little fear - until you drop her into an unfamiliar social situation. Persephone also has a special interest in Paracosm's creatures, and frequently rereads the bestiary she got from Corrus Acaron himself that details a great many Paracosm species. This special interest was also what lead her to volunteer at the Ampitheatre

Mary and Arthur Foster are Persephone's grandparents, having raised their only grandchild since she was a baby. They both love Persephone very much, and would do anything for her, though at the same time they don't extend that same love to their own daughter. Mary especially can be slightly passive-aggressive at times, but is also very sweet and caring. Arthur is very enthusiastic about things, and could make the most mundane anecdote into a fascinating epic. While Mary enjoys her knitting and sewing, enjoying watching her creations progress, Arthur is very passionate about tending to his garden

Alicia Foster is Persephone's mother, and the CEO of a very successful company. When Persephone was born, there was no father around, so Alicia moved back in with her parents to help her raise this child. Mary and Arthur were very disappointed with Alicia for not having anything prepared whatsoever in terms of raising this child, having expected her to at least have the immediate provisions such as a cot or bottles or nappies, but it was as though Alicia wasn't expecting to have to raise a baby at all. Persephone was loved unconditionally since day one, and so tensions could be eased a little in her presence, but it all came to a head when, after many arguments and ultimatums on both sides, Alicia moved away for her career, leaving Persephone in Mary and Arthur's care. Since then, Alicia has been sending money over every month, even when Persephone was no longer living with her grandparents, but she rarely contacts her family due to how busy with work. Alicia regrets not having a stronger connection with her daughter, but believes that the situation is for the best; she trusts that Mary and Arthur can do a much better job of raising her than she ever could, and at least this way she can provide plenty of financial support for the whole family

As a special bonus, let's also add Ellegaarde to this list. Ellegaarde is a teacher and runs the Ampitheatre, a school in Tyrion that teaches about the history of the realms, along with the beings within them and the magic systems present in different cultures, with glyph magic also being a popular unit that she teaches. Ellegaarde took Persephone in when she was around nine years old, bringing her to Tyrion in order to help her keep her abilities a secret and to help her search for the cause of it in a safe, open-minded environment that wouldn't just write her off as crazy. Ellegaarde is very calm, patient and encouraging, becoming an additional sort of mother figure to Persephone as well as a mentor and boss