Setting the scene

After reviewing this blog, I think it's a tad thin. To remedy this I will try to explain why I started this project and go into some of the creative thinking behind it. 

In this first post I will talk about the steampunk fantasy world that the film is set in. Last year, I got really into reading and since I have been reading authors such as Jules Verne, H.P.Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman. I was inspired by these authors as well as other interests, for example the television series Sharpe and the Monkey Island series of games, to try my hand at creating a steampunk-esque inspired fantasy world for some of my narrative ideas to take place in. 

So I began to craft a fictional world, going in depth into aspects such as geography, politics, history, beliefs and the mechanics of life and death. However I eventually realized that I was getting too bogged down in creating a back story and decided to leave it for a while. 

I have since been inspired by the web-comic Homestuck to take a different approach. The story and world of Homestuck is created largely as the comic goes on, starting at first with a simple premise, a protagonist in a simple setting, and a few other characters. The story and world builds as the comic progresses, to the point where it's now a truly epic and complex tale. I think such an approach to story telling could be good for me, as it would help me avoid getting too bogged down in the back story and, more importantly, get me to actually start writing as opposed to constantly preparing to write but never actually doing so. 

Here is some examples of my writings on the back story of the fantasy world. The first is an account of the fantasy world's history.

A Brief History of Fantasy world

The Radiant Dragon

In the beginning the world was dark and dead. Not a single light shone nor a single plant grew. The great Radiant Dragon, an old and wise creature that has existed since the dawn of time, used his blessed flame to breathe life into the lonely looking world. With this flora grew, fauna were born and light poured down from the sky.

One of the most unusual and most interesting creatures to be created was man. He resembled and ape, yet had no fur. He could swim the sea yet had no fins. He was not the strongest, nor the fastest, however he ruled the other creatures with tools and traps. The Radiant Dragon patiently observed man from a far, occasionally guiding and sharing with him his wisdom.

In time, the Radiant Dragon created a race of smaller dragons from his own flesh and blood, using his life-giving flame to bring them to life. He loved his children very much and they loved him. The Radiant Dragon never abandoned man however, continuing to guide and teach him. However his children fought with man. They were jealous of the Radiant Dragon’s attentions.

One day the dragons tried to kill man, and the Radiant Dragon defended him. The dragons were too strong in number however, and managed to overpower him. With his last dying breath he let out a roar that torn open the ground. He and his children were swallowed by the earth and buried.  As a final dying gift to man, the Radiant Dragon gave him his life-giving flame.

The War of the Waves

Eons later, man has spread out over the world and shaped it into his image. The western continent was made up of five kingdoms: The kingdom of Drayg, a wealthy people from a land of beauty, the kingdom of Lyndwerm, hardened from an eternal winter, the kingdom of Weck, a kind people from a humble land, and the kingdom of Jabre, a quite kingdom with a casual people.

Expeditions into the south-east ocean had discovered that realm of Silant, a land of tropical islands and swampland dispersed over a vivid blue sea. Its people were savage and primitive, or at least that’s what the far more ‘cultured’ peoples of the west thought. They colonised the realm and enslaved its people.

The main two powers in the ocean were the kingdom of Drayg and the kingdom of Lyndwerm. For a time there was an un-easy peace between the two kingdoms, however it didn’t last. Drayg entered into a dispute with Weck over a number of islands that Weck had colonised. Lyndwerm came to the aid of Weck and soon a war broke out.

The war lasted three years and claimed many lives, not all of whom were soldiers. Although Drayg was the wealthier, and thus better armed, the combined forces of Lyndwerm and Weck outnumbered them. It looked as if Drayg was defeated.

The Rise of Darius the Great Dragon

Prince Darius of Drayg was the youngest of the King’s three children. His brother Meinrad was the strongest fighter and his sister Treasa was the best hunter and marksman. Darius was, being neither strong nor fast, was forever in their shadow. His father, King Arnold the Golden Eagle, was tough and expected only the best from his children. He had no love for Darius because of his shortcomings and only saw him as a disappointment. His mother, Queen Amanda, loved and spoilt him. She was very protective of Darius and tended to treat him like a child.

Darius was power hungry and arrogant. Fiercely intelligent, he would spend all of his time in the palace library reading. From a young age he wanted to prove himself, particularly to his father, whom he hated.

Darius was twenty five when the war of the waves was ending. After and long period of sickness his mother died, King Arnold took out his grief on Darius. Darius, hungry for power and seeking vengeance upon his hateful father, hatched a plan to take power for himself.

Posing as a royal of Lyndwerm, he hired an assassin to kill his father. The assassin was a poor one and Darius knew this. Just as he planned, the assassin killed his father and was captured whilst attempting escape. The assassin confessed to them that he had been hired by a royal from Lyndwerm. There was only one possible outcome, all out war with Lyndwerm.

The Imperial War

...

The Suicide King

The Suicide King was once a mortal man who loved life and feared death. He ran as fast as he could and for as long as he could but ‘twas in vain. Eventually all things must end. Eventually he felt death wash over him like a flowing stream. He couldn’t help but let himself drift off and sink into its lapping waves.

When he awoke, he found himself in an uncanny land. It was like the world he just left but all colour and life had drained out, leaving everything an eerie shade of white. He too had no colour, appearing white, except for that his heart emitted a vivid red light from within his chest. His heart was heavy and weighed him down. He was not alone in this world, there were others like him, who too had passed away.

There were also hideous creatures stalking the dead world. They were famine ridden creatures that and were as black as death. Upon they’re thin, sickly bodies there was nothing but large and ravenous mouths, each with more razor sharp teeth then anyone cares to count. They would hunt down the lost and wandering souls who found themselves here. When they caught anyone they would tear into them and devour the poor soul’s bleeding heart, leaving the body to fade away.

The Suicide King watched them do this from a safe distance. The whole thing had a horrible feeling of permanence and no matter how far or how fast a soul ran, he couldn’t escape. He decided he would need to find a way to trick them into leaving him be.

The Origin of a Barmaid

Alice Beatrix was born in a small unremarkable village in the rolling hills and fields of the Drayg countryside. Her up-bringing was a quiet and largely un-eventful one. Her parents were kind and giving people. She would wander the countryside around her village daydreaming. She loved to draw and read. Many people told her to get her head out of the clouds but her parents never did. When she reached eighteen she moved to the port city of Beveridge, in search of excitement.

Three years later she is a barmaid in a small tavern, and has grown restless.

Haul & Luna Lugus

Haul and Luna Lugus are the children of a reasonably wealthy family and grew up in their manor in the dense forests of Lyndwerm. Luna and Haul were always very close siblings and were hardly apart. Luna was a very bright child and Haul was often causing mischief.  When Luna was nine and Haul was six a fire broke out in their father’s study, killing their mother. Grief stricken, their father hung himself from the willow tree in the garden, leaving Haul and Luna orphaned. Ownership of the manor passed to their uncle, Ichabod  Lugus, a wicked and sadistic man. Haul and Luna were raised by Castor, their father’s loyal friend who treated them as if they were his own children.

Their father was a historian and archaeologist of some note. He had participated in many expeditions, it was on one of these that he had met their mother, who had only been a student of biology at the time. Around the time of their mother’s death, he had begun to act strange. Fourteen years later, whilst reminiscing over some of their father’s belongings, Luna found their father’s journal which told of a great treasure in the far off lands of Spiru. Haul proposed that they journey to a claim the treasure, in hopes of buying back their home from they’re wicked uncle.

Haul is a jolly and friendly fellow, who, although now a man, is still a child at heart. He has a habit of finding, or often creating, trouble. Haul enjoys the simple things in life and can often be regarded as messy, lazy and not very bright. Haul has a helpful nature and is always willing to lead aid to those in need. Most of the time his solution to a problem will be to smash something and he will always refuse to run away. Haul is fiercely loyal to his sister and will follow her to the ends of the earth. Haul primarily acts with his heart and out of emotion.

Luna has always been the smart one, even as a child she had a mind beyond her years. She has a love of science, she would often as a child take apart her toys to see how they worked and then try to put them back together. Ever since their parent’s deaths, Luna has taken care of her brother and is very protective of him. Luna likes to lead a quiet life, however she is often dragged into trouble by Haul. Although she can be cynical, sarcastic and often moody, above all else she loves her brother. Unlike her brother, Luna acts with her head and out of rationality and logic.  

The second is a document containing rough descriptions of the various kingdoms and their peoples. 

Fantasy World – Locations

Old Kingdoms of the Western Continent

·         Jabre & Weck: The Twin Kingdoms – Once one kingdom, it was long ago split up between a pair of twins, a prince and princess. The two kingdoms have a constant friendly rivalry between each other.

·         Jabre: The Quiet Plains – A kingdom of endless plains and sky. It is considered by outsiders to be miserable and dull but it’s people love it for it’s quiet atmosphere. It’s people are very laidback and casual but are considered by some to be lazy ‘good-for-nothings’. It’s people have a love of music and social gatherings. It’s primary export is livestock.

·         Weck: The Green Country – A kingdom of thick deciduous forests and moorland. It is the poorest of the five kingdoms. Its people are known to be humble and fair, who are always willing to help. It is also the most religious of the kingdoms and its forests are considered somewhat sacred. Its primary export is agricultural goods.

·         Drayg: The Golden Hills – The southernmost kingdom. It is a picturesque and calm land of rolling fields and white chalk cliffs. The wealthiest of the five kingdoms, it is home to a very artistic and intellectual people who are often considered somewhat snobbish and spoilt.

·         Lyndwerm: The Winter Forest – The northern most kingdom. It is land is covered with dense pine forests and snow capped mountains. The northern most coast borders upon a frozen ocean of ice. The harsh terrain makes for a hardy and practical people. Its primary export is minerals and timber.

Colonies

·         Hydran: The Dry Ocean – A land of endless desert and scorching heat. The south is mostly sand dunes whilst the north is filled with dry rocky canyons. It is considered the harshest realm in the known world and has yet to be fully traversed. Its people are happy and very excitable. It has long been the victim of frequent invasions and attacks by the neighbouring realm of Silant. This ended however when Hydran was colonised by the empire a decade ago. The people of Hydran were so grateful to their saviours that they began to adopt western culture for their own, but in a strange and overly eager way. They never got the culture quite right and quite often, Hydran seems more western than the empire does. It is rumoured to have once been a great ocean in eons gone by.

·         Silant: The Dead Paradise – A large ocean filled with tropical islands. Swampland is common place and the whole realm has close ties to the occult. It is a land of poverty and forgotten people. Its people are proud and strong nomads, but are often wrongly considered as primitive scoundrels by outsiders. The realm was colonised by a number of the western kingdoms one hundred and fifty years ago and ever since relations between its people and the Empire have been very tense if not outright hostile. Its people were enslaved and its culture destroyed and replaced. It is mostly used as a trade route, making it home to many pirates. It is known as a chaotic realm where all manners of pleasure, debauchery and adventure can be found. Traces of Silant’s lost culture can still be found for those who are willing to look as well as in the natives that still hold on to the ‘old ways’.   

Free Realms

·         Spiru: The Living Forest – A humid realm of dense rainforest, filled with all manner of strange and dangerous flora and fauna. It is a very spiritual realm who people feel a very close connection to nature. Most of its people lead a peaceful life of non-violence and ancient wisdom. It is a land of spectacularly beautiful vistas and scenery. It is also home to many jewels and precious minerals, making it a target for those seeking their fortune.