Stephani
Kathryn
Brianna
Rowanne
Kara
Marian
Karyse
possible first book: Lady Stephani (name changeable) is the main character, though I have always considered her slightly different. If I ever do it, I’ll most likely not do it through her eyes, but through the eyes of an old guardsman (name changes), who, as my melodramatic side dictates, is sort of kinda in love with her, and it shows through about halfway through the ‘book’. This story does not take place in Tithia, but in Lianora and Terratithia (ex. later). Plot: King Wilyem and Queen Ayne have two sons, Aryn and Garysh. In Lianora age does not determine kingship; the king chooses, if he has more than one son, the most fit. I haven’t decided which is older, but Aryn is chosen, and Garysh becomes Duke of some northern cold place (technicalities aren’t worked out). Garysh, bitter, starts a relationship with a witch woman named Slyvie. Her people, the Raeyth, are nomads, and keepers of dark magics. Garysh, wishing to overthrow his brother, has her call for him the Thribed, creatures mixed of all that is dark and evil. He leads them into Lianora, and here things get sketchy. Stephani and the guardsman organize the people to fight back, hiding in a network of underground caves, Kayrdraegon is captured and abandoned by the Thribed (it is on the coast, and they fear the sea) and black forest is grown by Slyvie, to block it off from the rest of Lianora (growing from the mountain range that separates Lianora from Terratithia, and linking with the forests to the east above Lianora). The Thribed (with Slyvie’s help) build Ckrakorn, a grimly beautiful fortress. Lady Stephani drives the Thribed and the Raeyth back into the frozen north lands, and I don’t know if she dies or not.
The second book: The whole storyline started here, though it’s almost unrecognizable from what I started with. Marian (or Maryan, undecided), is the main character, though she shares the spotlight with Kristiana (Kristi) and Caryst (Cary, name subject to change). Garysh and Slyvie have both died, but they had a son; Malyce. He comes to the court of the aging King Aryn, and is welcomed as blood kin (Aryn’s fault is that he is too good, etc.). Within a month, the king and all the royal household are dead. Malyce claims right of blood, seizing the throne. The country falls into immediate turmoil. One of the things Malyce does is send out ‘special’ patrols to bring him young women, and this sets of the plotline. Marian, confined to Astancia (the family estate) by her parents, must sneak out at night in order to see her friends Kristi and Cary, also confined. Marian is stubborn, determined, bold, etc., Kristi is mischief personified, but brave to a fault, and Cary is timid, shy, and quiet (she looks up to the other two, and they are sort of her defenders, while she keeps their brashness in check). These three meet in a cave, which (you guessed it) is part of the network Stephani used. When they are almost caught by a patrol, they go deeper underground and lose themselves. Kristi accidentally trips a lighting system, and they are in the great cavern used for meetings. Exploring they find the smaller caves used as chambers by Stephani and the guardsman. They find weapons, and the records kept by the guardsman (including maps of Lianora before and after the growth of the Black Forest). Marian takes Stephani’s sword (I haven’t decided whether it’s magicked, or whether she reforges it), and bow. Kristi founds throwing knives, and an empty record book (she takes up scribe duties). Cary finds healing herbs, etc. This is her role (she couldn’t kill someone, I don’t think). When they find their way out of the caves, they are near the mountain range marking the border of Terratithia. And run into trouble again, only this time it’s not theirs. Prince Jonathan of Terratithia is the second out of the three royal brothers. He has gone into Lianora (w/out permission, but with the knowledge of his brothers) to find out the emotions of the people, and to find out if Malyce intends to invade. He has had the bad luck to run into a patrol (or something, to keep from repeating myself) and is beaten up and left for dead. The girls find him, Cary puts him back together, and while he sits around getting better, the girls talk. Marian (also an idealist) has decided she needs to free Lianora of Malyce (in the original it involved divine intervention. This is undecided). If Marian is going, Kristi and Cary go, and Jonathan (not unconscious, as they supposed), offers the help of the royal family of Terratithia. OK, they head there. I’ve already mentioned the mountains, and the only passable road is narrow and edged by cliffs. One horse fits through at a time (the trading route is wider, but blocked off. more technicalities). As they reach aforementioned pass, the same soldiers (having realized who Jonathan is, and planning to finish the job) try to cut them off. Kristi and Cary are through the pass, Marian sends them ahead, and we have our first battle scene. Kristi and Cary reach Nadia (capitol of Terratithia), and Jonathan’s brothers, Mychel and Bryan, go back (Cary has passed out, Kristi stays with her) and find Jonathan bleeding everywhere and Marian unconscious (can you tell it’s midnight here?). This is as far as I have details. The gist of it is, Marian gets the king of Terratithia to support them, but then he, over enthusiastic, takes over, not listening to Marian‘s plans, and not planning to take her with him. From the guardsman’s maps Marian learns of another partially underground pass that leads through the Black Forest and to Kayrdraegon. Jonathan gets together your average peasant army, except we have an ancient guardsman to whip them into shape. They all traipse through the pass and set up in Kayrdraegon, and while the king’s army is getting slaughtered by Malyce, traipse through the Black Forest and save everyone’s rears. Marian (naturally) has a big confrontation with Malyce in the depths of the castle, and kills him, and sits around dazed until Jonathan comes and takes her up, where she is promptly voted queen. She marries Jon, Kristi marries Mychel (the oldest), and Cary marries Bryan (the youngest. He got hurt early on, and Cary was tending him during all this).
That’s the first two, more to come!
Charis
descriptions:
Stephani: tall, narrow hipped, etc. brown/blonde hair to mid-shoulder blades, slightly angular features, sharp gray eyes.
Kathryn: dark brown hair, slight wave/curl, just below shoulder blades. Green eyes, fine yet distinctive features, possibly freckles in the earlier books.
Kristi: gold curls, to shoulders, vivid green eyes, fair skin (freckles lightly), average figure, slightly turned-up nose.
Caryst: very pale, blonde hair past hips, slight wave, very slight build, if not exactly short, fine boned, gray eyes.
Jonathan: black hair and eyes, bronze skin, tall, broad, etc. ruggedly handsome, but not in excess (a.k.a. perfection. I hate that).
Mychel: black hair and eyes, bronze skin, tall, broad, heavy in the shoulders, also handsome.
Bryan: black hair, hazel eyes, etc. insert the usual family resemblance.