Epic Fantasy

Fyreheart — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:08:40 -0500

We have the contemp' fantasy thread to here's the epic one! I usually write contemp/dark fantasy but I'm giving epic a go this year! The general premise is, on a whole new world, a tribe's gods are vanishing, leaving them. MC gets banished from his tribe and goes off on a 'man quest' to find the gods and prove his place in the tribe.

Re: Epic Fantasy

White Lily — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:37:24 -0500

My story probably fit here as it's already a trilogy (no, I don't want to make it bigger than that). This NaNo will be part two. I have two MC's so far.... will probably be more as I go ... who realizes those they thought were gods are in fact only "evolved" humans that more or less prey on the people that worships them. So they set out to destroy these so-called gods, while resisting the lure to become like them.. And that's not saying anything about all the various subplots with murder-hunting, political intrigue and realatives that was thought to be a long time dead ....

Re: Epic Fantasy

Fyreheart — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:11:09 -0500

That does sound like a really interesting concept! Good luck with it.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Mad Paladin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:24:56 -0500

Epic all the way! A decades old war between two successor states is threatening to heat back up again. The magic-charged mindless hoard that destroyed the previous empire might be coming back for round 5. Airships, necromancy, magic that manifests as tattoos, golems given sentience by dark magics, and a main character that's fighting off a demonic disease resulting from an assassination attempt.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Fyreheart — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:18:56 -0500

Very nice! It sounds like great fun to write.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Loki Mischief-Maker — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:26:00 -0500

Well, I've got the world altering events this year, even though I'm usually not one for epic fantasy's scale. Basically, magic has a mind of its own, it's older than the gods -- and every couple of thousand years or so it decides to change its rules. Last time it did so, the empire that occupied most of the story's geography fell. Messily. This time, well, the crossroads god is gambling on someone who's fairly good at magical theory but not actually educated in it -- my MC -- to block a couple of the more dangerous paths it could take, because she a) might be able to manage it, and b) doesn't realize that what he's asking her would be impossible anywhere BUT the middle of the Shift. . . . that sounds very confusing when I try to explain it like that.

Re: Epic Fantasy

White Lily — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:02:22 -0500

Thanks! Looking at what I wrote above it's hard to tell that this story originated in the story of Moses and the Exodus .... But it was, and somewhere inside that story is still living. It's just not that recognizable any more =)

Re: Epic Fantasy

warriorcomplex — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:04:23 -0500

Wow. I'd read this!

Re: Epic Fantasy

White Lily — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:05:18 -0500

Heh, I don't think Epic Fantasy is meant to be easy explainable .... the plot(s) are usually to big and complicated for that. Anyway, what I did understand seems like something I'd like to read. Good luck!

Re: Epic Fantasy

larelmian — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:15:30 -0500

I've been working on an epic off and on for quite some time. A wandering sorcerer, mysterious outlaw, woodmaid, young but talented sorcerer, and an innkeeper's daughter set out to free the Lady of Light from the Lord of Darkness. Along the way, they must face assassins, goblins, a dragon, more assassins, even more goblins, a few random monsters, and, oh, did I mention the assassins?

Re: Epic Fantasy

Vincent des Coeurs — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:28:02 -0500

Epic's awesome! I usually do 'deeper'/darker stuff, but not at the NaNo! Then, it's happy-go-lucky epicness! This year, I'm gonna write nr. 2 of a (what I now think will become) 5-book story. Part one, the to-be princess June Bailey has been convinced by infamous werewolf Terrance Longeway to skip on her marriage with the prince and come with him. This part, they're gonna find a lot of trouble as Terrance is being hunted down by immortals. After that, it's going to grow more and more epic: turns out Terrance was immortal once too, cause he made a deal with the Devil. Other immortals have to die, whilst they try to survive. And then, in the last book, the greatest end-boss of them all shows up. The Devil himself... Aw, it's awful writing all this down like that, so summarized. It really doesn't look appealing at all, though it's so great (in my head, that is)... Well, guess I have to write it to prove it ^^

Re: Epic Fantasy

TheImaginaryFriend — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:29:32 -0500

My story is growing into an epic size I think... Three MCs-- one is a lost boy kidnapped by a trickster god and taken with him as they (eventually get around to) fighting off an ancient power that is unmaking existence. The second is a young acolyte who is traveling the land trying to figure out why the merfolk have reappeared-- and why the strange pendent he found somehow prevents their powers. And the third is a Joan of Arc figure who is inspired by the ghost of her brother to save her kingdom from a growing political threat. Set in an medieval Native American culture with lots of storytelling and the like. And some good political maneuvering worthy of the Medicis.

Re: Epic Fantasy

DreamBubble — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:11:41 -0500

Perhaps mine fits into this subgenre? I'm not sure. Defenseless, We Will Stand After a run-in with Cretak's infamous Lieutenant General Karill Satul, Zaya Pyrek is captured and forced into servitude for the enemy. Struggling to adapt to a new culture of power, wealth and corruption, Zaya must plot her escape without becoming a pawn in Karill's secretive plans. With a bitter war looming, will she be able to escape Cretak's treacherous walls? Or will she be seduced by forbidden love?

Re: Epic Fantasy

Fyreheart — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:34:04 -0500

It sounds really interesting, I love the concept behind it all.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Realta — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:56:39 -0500

That sounds awesome. I'd read, too. Magic in my world changes, too, but not abruptly. It's more of a mistake than because it's alive though. A rule or another changes every few decades, then a few centuries later a whole area of knowledge may seem completely different. Then, after thousands of years, the whole starts getting unstable, and lots of things start changing fast to keep magic from contradicting itself. Then BOOM. Magical storms start to happen, and begin wiping out hundreds of people who are sensitive to magic. Until it all builds up to one huge cataclysm, which wipes out everything alive. Except for Fairies. ...then the world starts from zero, and the populations and magic are "reset" by the gods, and everything starts again...

Re: Epic Fantasy

Realta — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:10:35 -0500

My story has the potential to be epic. That's more because I develop my world and societies overall over the MCs. Even once the story of a couple of MCs ends, I can still pull on hundreds of diferent stories from other people living in this world, and build new plots with the same scenarios (which are different from our world). Apart from that, all my MCs either are, or will become immortal until the end of the book. Which means I will have no short amount of stories to tell about them if I decide to write more, either. The premise of the current story is, the MCs are travelling the world after leaving their societies behind, trying to learn more about their gods. They find out their magic is getting unstable, and is about to wipe out everyone alive in a matter of years. That's mostly because magic was 'made' wrong, but the gods didn't care to correct the mistake when they were still 'alive' (they're gone now, though not necessarily dead). Two of MCs are nominated gods then (kind of against their will, although they are more stupefied about it than anything else), and they start working against time to try to correct magic, and make it right again without killing all of the magic users in the proccess (which is made all the harder because they don't know how to 'wield' the godly powers they have now).

Re: Epic Fantasy

Argentum — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:06:50 -0500

My MCs are going to end up changing their world! More through political intrigue and entrepreneurship than through apocalyptic battles, but I do have a few ideas in mind to help fill my action scene quota, from volcanic explosions of magic to frenzied massacres of the decadent aristocracy. I'm trying to figure out how to write a happy ending without creating some sort of laughably unrealistic utopia.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Uskaro — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:32:01 -0500

Epic fantasy, here! I have a multiple POV trilogy going on that ultimately leads to defeating dark gods, woo. My 'main' character, after completing a religious pilgrimage, finds a fallen god, sends him back to where he came from, then decides that she's going to put an end to slavery and gets swept up into the dark god's machinations. The other POVs include the 'Messiah', a Usurper, and the fallen god himself. I'll be adding more POVs as the story progresses... Hey, I just finished rereading A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. I can't help it if his POV thing infects my style lolol. Either way, I'm completely excited to start writing. I've been developing this world since February and it needs out!

Re: Epic Fantasy

Ink_Stained_Midnight — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:16:16 -0500

You read A Song of Ice and Fire? I love those books. GRRM's writing style influenced mine a lot.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Haunted_Nefertiti — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:03:44 -0500

Mine has turned into an Epic Fantasy, mainly because book one has 5 MCs and the various plots and twists are so not wrapped up at the 'end' of book one. So on to book two, which as far as it has been plotted out, doesn't look like the end either. I'm thinking it'll be 4-5 books... Kisa is a faerie half blood who is searching for her faerie father. Little does she know that there's been a prophecy given that concerns her, her actions concerning the rest of the post-apocalyptic world (1000 years later it is) and the half bloods living there. Her father is employing bounty hunters to kidnap her, so he can use her for his own means. She befriends two other half bloods, one of which is the love interest of a human boy. The human runs off to be with her, which angers his faerie hating mother enough to send assassins after Kisa and the group she's formed. Meanwhile there is the whole Winter versus Summer faerie war going on, which is nearly a perfect balance but will be upset by something Kisa does (not that she does it to purposely upset the balance). And so much more... I also think I need to work on my synopsis writing... that *points above* doesn't sound as epic as my novel does. And I left out all the faerie creatures, beasts, and magic that goes on, too!

Re: Epic Fantasy

Negasi — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:12:04 -0500

Oh my goodness... I've thought about a similar concept! You must tell me how it works out!

Re: Epic Fantasy

lulubell57 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:46:45 -0500

My synopsis is pretty eh, but whatever. This is what I have: In the land of Desta, the Contamination spreads across the land like a disease. However, the Contamination is worse than a just a plague. It causes Trumages and Halfmages alike to lose their power. Worse, though, is that in nonmages who have no power to steal, the Contamination takes their souls. Nalia Fi is a a girl born as the noble Vanialaska ay Hennafina but cast onto the streets by her half-mad father; she is also the most powerful mage in her generation. Her sister was one of the earliest victims of the Contamination, and Nalia searches for ways to end it so that others do not suffer the same pain she felt. Nalia thrives as part of the underworld in the capitol city of Teromadesa. Then she is approached by Illio (illio) Vemyk, a boy who's younger sister was Contaminated. He claims to have found documents that could lead to the source of the Contamination. Nalia warily agrees to accompany him on a journey across the face of their whole world, a world she will do anything to save.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Scuzzimei — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:47:53 -0500

Everyone's stories sound awesome! I love the variety we have going on here. My story takes place during a long standing war between two kingdoms, Sard and Rhodol. Since a strategic defense point of Sard - New Valley - fell twenty years before, Rhodol has pressed the advantage, taking more and more land and leaving Sard battered and on the brink of falling to the other kingdom. Sard's greatest strategist was the General of New Valley, and it's fall caused his children to be scattered between the lands. His son, Gad, has been raised among the nomads, and returns to Sard to find out the final fate of the rest of his family. There he meets his sister Nilda, inheritor of their father's strategies and confidant of Sard's Crown Princess. Nilda wants Gad to join the fight against Rhodol, but Gad is determined first to discover what happened to their youngest sister, Kaleigh. Unknown to them, or anyone, Kaleigh was found and raised by the Prince of Rhodol who conquered New Valley, and is now King. Torn between the family of her birth and the one that raised her, Kaleigh could be the key to saving Sard, or destroying it. Along the way there will be lots of political intrigue, character angst, betrayal, and way too many characters. I'm looking forward to writing it.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Dyute — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:55:08 -0500

Could someone explain to me what an epic fantasy is?

Re: Epic Fantasy

Arya Svit-Kona — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:55:56 -0500

I love epic fantasy far more than contemporary fantasy.... I always have. This year I believe that mine is sort of dark/epic fantasy. And it's the first of what I think will be four books. The second one is already planned out and even has a title (which my first one does not). The synopsis on my profile: Nobody quite remembers why they hate their king.... but they do. Now the chance to defeat him has arisen. On the Isle of Time, a place that is but a legend, rests an amulet that is told to give the bearer incredible powers and now there is evidence that this island exists. A group of rebels sends their best warrior to find the amulet and the king gives his top assassin a new mission. The two race against each other to reach the island, and the amulet, first. Now to go into a bit more detail, the story is all told from the assassin's point of the view, the king isn't really evile, the protagonist (who, remember, is not the MC) and the assassin end up causing a whole heck of a lot of problems when they get tossed back in time together, the world nearly gets destroyed, and..... my MC gets killed off in the very end.... wait... that's all four of the books.

Re: Epic Fantasy

marysipe — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:16:05 -0500

Well, Dyute, you might get some varying opinions on that! I describe it as sweeping, usually involving the fate of the world. The characters and magic are often more powerful, more like mythological heroes. Not that they're not characters in and of themselves, they just tend to be important and often end up somewhat legendary. The lines between epic fantasy and other types are pretty blurry. I think it's more about the big, sweeping feel of it than the actual facts of the story itself. If that makes any sense. Hee! I'm writing about an assassin, too Arya, only mines the protag. It's epic, with a touch of political fantasy. (For me it's usually the other way around.) Here's my synopsis: A war orphan, assassin Andasi Nors has worked long and hard to reach this moment. She stands in the great hall, one of three assassins about to receive the honor of being called a master. The vaulted ceiling brings the soft, constant sound of weeping to her ears and she smiles. She's served at the Temple of Sorrow since her parents' deaths and her moment has finally come. Yet, when her name is called, rebounding off the marble and filling the room, everything goes grey. Her excitement from just a moment before is gone, her pride at having reached such a station drains away, and she is left with nothing but a deep, abiding emptiness. She feels no sorrow for the lives she has taken, and she would like to be horrified by that, but she feels nothing. Her assassin's blade turns black, as if tarnished. Has the goddess of Sorrow turned her face from Andasi? Or has she only just noticed her... I wish I had more time to spend worldbuilding it. I don't have half of what I normally would!

Re: Epic Fantasy

AbruptlyMystical — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:39:04 -0500

*falls in* Well, I promised myself I wouldnt, but I am. Just cant seem to stay away from epics. 'Distracted by a prophecy, an order of wizards run themselves ragged trying to find the 'chosen one'. It's only after the damage is done that they realize the entire thing was a ruse, created to do exactly what it has done, tear their order apart and pit them against each other. Even after this, it seems they're still on a wild goose chase, the one supposed to have written the thing turning out to know nothing about it at all.' [/lame summary is lame] My POV characters are the wizards' newest 'chosen one', a chore boy from the local tavern who is far too lazy to be going on such an adventure, and one of the rejected apprentices who's got a bit of a revenge complex now. She eventually gets an apprentice of her own and tries to just /make/ her the chosen one to get back at everyone who lied to her. I just wanna give her a big hug... and then slap her and tell her to get over herself. XD @ Arya Svit-Kona: Your's sounds really cool! And I just completely geeked out over your username, I used to be such a terrible Arya fangirl (still am probably...)

Re: Epic Fantasy

larelmian — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:00:34 -0500

Epic fantasy -- I think of quests to save the world, lots of magic, danger, excitement, romance, and a story that takes at least 1,000 pages to cover.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Dyute — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:04:06 -0500

That sounds really cool. Your summary isn't lame at all! I think it'd be cool if the boy just like lets the apprentice person have at it because he's just to bored to care...

Re: Epic Fantasy

TCSImpson — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:13:00 -0500

Epic fantasy here. Vengeful leaders, a magic that corrupts, an ancient clan reemerging, a people in exile making their move, ruling Tribunal trying to expand it's empire, an encroaching darkness, and caught in between are four people that will not only decide the fate of each other, but much of the world's with their choices.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Captain-Savvy — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:20:06 -0500

So much Epic in one thread! It boggles the mind, people! :D My story is coming from two directions. On one hand we have a half-elven roguish mage who is hired (coughcapturedandthreatenedcough) by a king of men to travel to a sacred well in enemy territory for the sake of bringing a fallen prince back from the dead. On the other hand we have our Dragonking, who has been trapped in a half-human form and is struggling to adapt. He must set out to regain power and find a way to be restored to his true form and bring peace back to the lands. There's a lot of war and strife everywhere too. Neither of them know it yet but they're going to meet, join forces, and get caught up in some battles and lots of fun stuff. Fun for me, not for them... but we torture our characters because we love them, aye?

Re: Epic Fantasy

talkstoomuch — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:25:45 -0500

Where Raging Fires Meet This story has over two hundred characters and spans more than forty years, so this is only the briefest of samplings. Norhellen, the land of four kingdoms is a land dictated by the spells of the northern volcanoes - time is eternally divided between one ash-fall and another. The spells of ash can be ten years apart or ten days. No one can predict when the next one will fall, or how long it will last. During the ash, all normal life is suspended - warfare, trade and agriculture grind to a halt. Normally, this is seen as a brief diversion from normal life. But all that is about to change when an ash-fall lasting five years will shake the very foundations of the kingdoms and incite war, murder, and rebellion, as the respective heirs and monarchs of Falken, Lokentor, Troelsen, and Rasken fight to reclaim what they believe they have lost. Through a bizzare twist of fate,Thanaric, the heir to the Throne of Falken (the wealthiest of the kingdoms and the historic enemy of the other three) was born in Lokentor and due to the ash raised alongside Yrian, the heir to the Lokentor throne. Raised as brothers, the children find themselves dragged into a world of adult politics where they are expected to suspend all notions of friendship and fight one another as bitterest enemies, following the unexplained murder of the Falken king. Meanwhile, Lilit (formerly Hlilitz) of Rasken has been found to be the last survivor of the Rasken royal family following the catastrophic ash. Rasken is the poorest of the kingdoms - its people are nomads, constantly at the mercy of volcanic ash-falls and arctic winters. Found alive in the ruins of the royal fortress, Lilit is taken back to Lokentor but finds herself framed for a regicide she did not commit, while struggling to keep her rule from being usurped by the Lokentor ruler's. Meanwhile, Dyagan of Rasken is leading his people into an open rebellion against the Lokentor occupiers, drawing a private army from the volcanic squatter towns of the far north in a plan to avenge the cold-blooded murder of the king and his three sons on the battlefield.

Re: Epic Fantasy

bnavta — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:46:56 -0500

Mine is an Epic Fantasy, too. Hadn't actually thought of it as "Epic", but I guess it fits. I'd been writing part of it for the last three years, but started writing the story of Lir when I realized it was a prequel to what I had already written. So this Nano I've dedicated to Lir. Looks like the whole thing may turn out to be a trilogy. I did not expect that, but the characters take you where they will, don't they? "Bloodstone" is a fantasy set on the continent of Fizruh on the world of Euphemric. The main character is a young girl of fourteen summers named Lir. She lives in a place called The Caves deep in the walls of a crevass-valley in the middle of the Wasnang Desert. The valley was once the seat of a noble family around which was built an oasis-like, thriving and cosmopolitan city. It is now a tumbled-down place of fear and deprivation due to the now master of the city, Magsett Arn. Lir - tall, lithe and athletic and dressed in torn trews and an over-sized, ragged tunic to hide her maturing femininity - has become a Runner. She has gained a trusted reputation among the beleaguered folk of the city for her quickness and reticence when delivering messages. The story begins when she is called to Arn's castle to deliver a message to the gem mines at the far west end of the valley.

Re: Epic Fantasy

belesaria — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:39:03 -0500

I'm writing about a prince who becomes a king who becomes an emperor, in the mean time killing monsters and dragons. I'd say that's pretty epic.

Re: Epic Fantasy

darkness_roams — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:36:05 -0500

I have an Epic Fantasy too. I'm trying to keep it to three books, but the more I think about it, the more I think its going to take longer...Then again, I could fall flat on my face and finish the set in the first book. :P My title for the Series is "Echoes in the Darkness." I had that first, which is odd... I always have trouble naming my works, but this one just screamed out right at the word go. Titles for the individual books are looking to be plays on words for echoes and locations for each book...like the first one (this years nano) is whispering wilds. The world... I'm struggling to figure out a nicer way to summarize it... Basically, take the world at the end of the movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still with Keanu Reeves (no technology, a virtual dark era), add a good couple thousand years, "magical" creatures who end up showing man how to re-establish themselves after man's appocolyptic madness has ended and maybe a moon or three. I'm thinking the early years were rough and cold and few of Man made it through. The magical creatures have been here all along, they just willingly let man do his thing and stayed to the deepest most untouched parts of the world. The magical creatures are disappearing and this time, it wasn't willingly on most parts. Man's "madness" is returning. The shadow man has found a new consort in Man and the world is slowly being devoured in darkness. The elves and fae have been restricted to the forest by something evil and nasty...I'm starting to leans towards a spider that latches onto other animals and drives them insane, of course, orchestrated by my shadow man. The dwarves are being hunted by a basilisk and are thus holed up in their mountain. And dragons are restricted to the ether between the "real" world and dreams. My main character is "fractured" mentally, although she doesn't know it at first. She just knows she has certain switches that are turned off so the speak. Which is perfect for an assassin/slash "escort" for the dominant government thingy. She meets up with the physical embodiment of her other fractured self and has that deja vous, don't i know you feeling...but waves if off thinking its just another naive, child-like moron in the wrong place at the right time...together they have to save the magical creatures, release the sentient dragons from their prison and save the world from the big baddie. I have three types of dragons...a mini version that affluent humans keep as pets, a larger version with two legs and wings that are pretty much dumb beasts and are used in aerial combat....and then i have the sentient species that is locked away and can wield higher forms of magic...The key to their release will be bonding to a humanoid type rider... Re-reading the above, i really need to learn to summarize more....

Re: Epic Fantasy

hedgiecc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:54:50 -0500

sounds fantatastic!

Re: Epic Fantasy

hedgiecc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:04:09 -0500

Strange magic infects the lands, and the college of wizards cannot agree on its cause or even if it truly exists. Some think the contagion is due to treachery, others wildly propose it is somehow connected to the use of dragon eggs. The dragons themselves are dying out, and the kingdoms go to war to gain possession of the last few eggs.

Re: Epic Fantasy

marysipe — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:15:37 -0500

I started writing at midnight -- it's about 4 am here -- and I'm already halfway to my first day's goal! I'd like to get a completed first draft, but since I'm moving (from Austin to New Orleans), working on some requests from my editor on another story, and had a worldbuilding meltdown, I'll be happy just to get 50k!! Has anybody else out there already started?

Re: Epic Fantasy

Regret — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:33:26 -0500

A seemingly nonsensical and possibly highly innaccurate prophecy gives spurious directions to the legendary Well of Dreaming, wherein is contained... something that the prophecy is irritatingly vague on. As every power under the sun sets out for the Well of Dreaming, it slowly becomes clear that even finding it in the first place will be a quest in and of itself. The searchers include the rulers of every nearby kingdom, at least one lord of the undead, and a band of the most unlikely heroes. The POV characters are a farm hand turned expendable footsoldier, a skeleton possessed by the woman it belonged to in life, and various other searchers.

Re: Epic Fantasy

popsprocket — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:34:18 -0500

Yep epic fantasy is my calling this year... and repeatedly throughout every plotting exercise I've ever tried to do... It chronicles the political and physical fight against a continent spanning empire that is run by men who can be bought for the right price that rules with an iron fist. Three companions that come from humble beginnings will be the spark that sets off the largest civil war in known history. But that's a heavy burden to bear and it begins to show very quickly on all involved - especially Kalen who must also contend with the blood poisoning that accompanies the use of magic. What begins as a quest to find justice for the murder of a sister turns into a world spanning epic that culminates with simultaneous full land invasions from two different foes and too much internal strife to organise an effective defence. I did start writing last night at midnight. Did a bit over a 1000 words between 12 and 1am but the rest will have to wait until exams are over.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Psycomountainman — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:20:35 -0500

ok im really not sure where my story belongs. i wanna say epic fantasy because its part of a larger series and a larger character arc about the incarnation of war, one of the four horsemen, but this part takes place in a contemporary setting (middle east war zone) even though in later volumes it moves to a completely different plain of existence.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Mnemonicer — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:59:21 -0500

I'll point everyone in the direction of my profile for a teaser. Basically, I'm trying to plunge a continent into war by the end of the first book of what's going to be at least a trilogy. Today, I tried to explain to someone my plot, drawing parallels to real world events that have taken place in the last 150 years. After explaining China/Taiwan/Tibet/Xinjiang + Ireland and my own additions to that mess of conflict, well, I think I confused her. All told, the conversation spanned over a half an hour. Finally, I just told her "look, you saw Game of Thrones on HBO, right? Yeah, good, ok, I'm writing something ridiculously complicated like that."

Re: Epic Fantasy

Hunger Ludinivalis — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:38:47 -0600

I'm pretty sure that mine would be considered Epic Fantasy... Basically, the Guardians are dragon riders that protect Kilanya. The FMC (not sure about what her permanent name will be yet, but we'll just call her Gwen for now) was raised by one of the Guardians and brought up as one of their apprentices. She's finally graduated, and is immediately sent to go fight in a war that's going on at the time. She's kidnapped by the enemy during a rescue attempt, and then she tries to get back to Kilanya. But she realizes that Ossolo (The Guardian leader) is pretty much an evil dictator, and she joins up with the country that she originally thought was bad but realizes that it's good to try and defeat him. It's a lot more in depth than that, but I can't summarize stuff until I'm completely done with it... :P

Re: Epic Fantasy

davidben2001 — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:13:57 -0600

Mine is epic because of its length and the slowness at which the everything happens. It will end with a bang, quite literally, but until then, my MC is keeping a journal of his time exploring a rather large land for the next 5-7 years, and then another 5-8 years for the second half of the story. He's currently writing an average of three 1-page journal entries per month, although I might go back and fill some of that in when I get the overall story finished. It's interesting to watch how the land changes, how his relationships with his traveling companions grow, and how history progresses, all happening one journal entry at a time.

Re: Epic Fantasy

dehro — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:14:53 -0600

I'm not sure what qualifies for epic and what doesn't. so I'll just throw it out there. MC is a conman. with his associates he tries a heist... twice. it goes wrong the first time and seriously FUBAR the second time. then he finds himself more or less magically endowed whereas in his world magic seems to be a thing of the past. he'll have to survive being chased by an increasing number of powerful enemies, starting with a local sherrif up and not limited to several royal houses, mercenary corporations and more or less magical creatures from a parallel world. to survive this chase he must restore magic, use it to defeat some ancient enemies, open the gates to the parallel world, close them again, collect a series of magical artefacts strewn across the world, and avoid the return of a couple of demonic hordes and a crazy archmage. he does all this while interacting with about a dozen other main characters and there's no way I can even get the ball rolling by the time I get to the 50k words.

Re: Epic Fantasy

BrandonSP — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:48:48 -0600

Depends on how you define "epic". I don't have anything happening that will affect my story's whole world or even anything international, but what I have planned so far does feature pirates, a warrior queen, interracial romance, ninja-like assassins, a journey through hostile terrain, and dinosaurs. I MIGHT even throw in a war or a rebellion near the end.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Alaskan_Adventurer — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:36:25 -0600

Epic fantasy involves massive battles, magical being, good versus evil and a clear, evolving plot line leading up to an epic battle. Here is the summary of my epic fantasy novel: In the mythical lands of Equestra, a massive war unfolds. The dreaded mountain dwellers, the Alma, surges in power from the control and abuse of the Stones of Verdau. With a temporary truce, the ancient giants known as the Kuasa must hold a loose alliance with the humans and keep the growing might of the Alma in check. Unbeknownst to the beings of Equestra, an ancient force descends upon the land and does not descriminate with its erradication of all life. Natural disasters become commonplace and cause great devastation to all in its wake. Massive floods and earthquakes followed by a mysterious rolling fog erradicates all life by causing plague and famine. So begins the story of a Kardai named Aiden. Kardai are a race of Naturalists, who worship Laodi, the Goddess of Beasts. Aiden must show his strength and cunning by surviving the Trials of Laodi and continue his tasks at hand. Aiden must unite with two others: the honorable yet silly Cort Rao and the mysterious Soraya, unlikely heroes they may seem. Defying all odds, our young heroes must unite the races of Equestra and overcome prejudice and hatred to counter this unimaginable evil. How do you unite lands that are in never ending war? Will Aiden, Cort and Soraya be able to unite the world of Equestra to erradicate this infinite evil? Descending Darkness is an epic fantasy novel consisting of love and hatred, hope and loss spanning the majestic lands of Equestra

Re: Epic Fantasy

cadaughtrey — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:54:18 -0600

I've been noodling with a trilogy for awhile now. It's kind of way back on the shelf while I get my writing chops up to snuff with some other shorter stories, but here's the gist. The trilogy is called The Archbold Chronicles. The first book is called A Young Man's Journey and finds the MMCs, best friends Jakobaia (Jak) Archbold and Josif Hin, in the service of the King's Army. Both enlisted in hopes of finding adventure, excitment and all that, but have ended up performing nothing more than menial tasks. Jak works in the mess and Yosif cares for the officers' boots. When a scouting party catches a wanted bandit, Tommias Radavan, he convinces Jak and Yosif to desert from the army and travel with him to Hannallah, the legendary moutaintop city far to the west. They agree and set out, fugitives from the law, picking up the FMC, Meung, along the way. They eventually reach their destination, but not without losing some of their party along the way. The second book is called A Young Man's Obessision and picks up with Jak and Josif a year or two after their arrival in Hannallah. Hannallah is the center of learning and culture on my fantasy continent. Jak has been studying the arts of war with some success. Josif has been studying magic, with somewhat less success. Frustrated that he isn't progressing as he feels he should, Josif unearths an old and deadly spell deep in the university archived. The Scourge is a deadly magical plague capable of wiping out thousands. Josif convinces Jak that, by using this spell to wipe out the enemies of their home country, not only can they finally be able to return home, but can do so as heroes. Over the long journey to gather the required elements for the spell, Josif's desire for recognition turns into obsession, which eventually turns into madness. Jak's concern reaches its peak when he finally realized exactly what The Scourge is and what it can do. He begs Josif to reconsider, but when he is refused, Jak is forced to kill his friend. Unfortunately he's too late. The third book is called A Young Man's Redemption. A few months after Josif unleashes The Scourge, the countryside is ravaged by the disease. By now, the powers that govern the use of magic know what Jak and Josif have done and are looking for the surviving man to mete out an appropriate punishment. That, combined with Jak's own guilt, have driven him into hiding. Finally, he's unable to take it anymore and resolves to find the cure for the disease or die trying.

Re: Epic Fantasy

doseyclwn — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:55:49 -0600

My book, tentatively titled "George the Crazy-Ass Troll Killer" started out as something much different than it's become. The characters are mostly inspired by either a) D&D Characters I have played over the years or b) memorable D&D characters that I've played with or have played in games I've run over the years. Some of the events in the book were inspired by things that happened in games. The magic system (or systems; there are different types of magic in the world, and none of them are super-common) is different, and the best way I can think of to describe my MC would be Conan meets Harry Dresden meets Mat Cauthon. My MC, George, is a legendary adventurer, as are the members of his crew. What most people don't know is that George is actually Geoffrey, the son of the last KIng and rightful heir to the throne. George and his buddies don't operate in the Kingdom that he's from, but they get sucked into it when a Caravan they are helping to guard is captured by the King's Guard from his own Country, and they mistakenly take George prisoner. George left 16 years ago, and has no plans to go back. He didn't get along with his father and found life too constrictive at the castle. When he left, his father died and his Uncle took the throne. Now he's back, and there's something going on: his family has suffered a host of Demon Attacks and they don't know who's behind it. George and his friends set off to find out who's responsible and stop them, and the answer is not something they expect AT ALL.

Re: Epic Fantasy

jkang — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:16:27 -0500

I am writing a multicultural fantasy series that will probably take years and years to tell. Here’s the abbreviated background, I’ll include the “long background”: After the Era of Elves and Era of Orcs, Humans inherited the world a millennium ago. Three centuries have passed since the Hellstorm and ensuing Long Winter ended the First Age of Empires. In the ashes of the Arkothi Empire in the North and the Ayuri Empire in the South, resourceful peoples built up new nations. Now, an axis of three expansionist states threatens to bring the rest of the continent of Tivalathor under its iron grip. The novels are told in three story arcs whose major characters intersect each other’s storylines. Arc 1: The War Between the Tileri Empire and the Eldaeri Located in Central Arkoth, the Tileri Empire is ruled by the Bovyans. They are the all-male descendants of Geros Bovyan, the mortal son of the Sun God Solaris. They originally established a noble order of knights, but eventually became corrupt and now subjugate the Arkothi people they have conquered. The Eldaeri are the long-lived descendants of a “lost race” of humans that fled the mainland during the Era of Orcs and intermingled with refugee Elves on a distant continent. They returned after the Hellstorm and used their repeating crossbows and ships to conquer Eastern Arkoth and subjugated the Arkothi peoples; their Empire fell into civil war over the ideology of racial purity, leading to the establishment of three nations. Two of these would be considered benevolent, while the third is at least a little better than the Tileri Empire. Neither the Eldaeri or Bovyans have affinity for magic. This story arc follows the adventures of the four Princes and two Princesses who lead the Eldaeri against the ingenious plans of the Tileri Empire’s First Consul, Geros Bovyan XLIII. Arc 2: Princess of Cathay Blessed with the only trees in the West that can be built into ship hulls, the small nation of Cathay dominates trade and the exchange of goods and knowledge. It has discovered the secret of gunpowder, and profits from the varying conflicts by selling a more primitive rifle to the various warring states. Yet it faces threats from the Tileri Empire’s satellite tributaries in the Nothori Northwest and from the Tileri’s ally in the South, the Ayuri Kingdom of Madura. At the same time, the Great Lords who advise the Emperor are divided among those who want to expand the nation’s borders and those who would prefer peace. This story arc follows the exploits of the Emperor’s daughter, and an unparalleled musician and dancer whose beauty is said to come along only once in three generations. (The first novel’s very rough draft is 75% done is marked by political intrigue, and tells how the Princess learns to focus magic through her artistic talents, forges an alliance with nations in the South, and charms a dragon. A 400-page rough draft of the second novel is done, recounting how she is sent to negotiate a treaty with the Tileri, is betrayed, and must find her way home with the guidance of a spy she detests and some friends she makes along the way.). Arc 3: Pyramids of Tivara Originally a symbol of Orc oppression, the Pyramids of Tivara—one for each race of humans—have now become mysteries that inspire the imagination of all. Some are in lands controlled by the Tileri and their allies, while others are not. This story arc describes the adventures of an Ayuri Paladin, Aksumi Mystic and Levanthi Cleric as they try to find out why the magic of the world is weakening. Oh, since we are talking about magic, this is one of the key details. There are 10 races of humans, and Elves taught them magic based on their affinity: • Aksumi: (resemble north Africans) – sorcery magic • Arkothi : (East Mediteranean) – empathic magic • Ayuri: (South Asian) – martial magic • Cathay: (East Asia) – artistic magic • Estomari: (Western Europe) – divination magic • Kanin: (North American Native) – shamanic magic • Levanthi (middle eastern) – sacred magic • Nothori (Baltic) – druidic magic • Eldaeri – humans that mixed with elves in antiquity, long-lived but no magic • Bovyan- all-male scion of the son of the Sun God Solaris, no magic

Re: Epic Fantasy

Riishi — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:06:19 -0500

I too have been infected by Song of Ice and Fire. In fact, ridiculously enough, I'm writing a song inspired by it.

Re: Epic Fantasy

Riishi — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:10:53 -0500

Big, big, big stories. Where everything is at stake, or as close as it gets. Usually they involve saving the world, or at least a civilization, monarchy, god or, often enough, the world's magic. They often have a high-magic world, but not necessarily, it's the plot that makes a story epic.