Something to do with pirates!

PROLOGUE

The name’s Rackham. Cap’n Quinn Rackham. But I’m ‘ereafter known as Cap’n t’ yer, capisce? Good, I don’t need no landlubbers gettin’ a whiff of me name. I’ve got m’self into enough trouble t’ sink ol’ Willie’s steamboat as it is without yer rattin’ on me an’ all. Better keep this little conversation between us two, ‘mm?

Anyway, now that’s over with, I’ll offer me condolences now if yer’d like. Y’see, I’ve spent me whole life at sea, an’ the air don’t do me brain much good. Me memory’s a bit ‘azy now - what? No, I’m not just “getting’ old”, yer cheeky little riff-raff! I might be goin’ a bit grey ‘round the edges, but it don’t make me any less of a pirate now - Neptune's tail no! Anyway, this could take a while, best take a perch on the ol’ aft ‘ere – it’s alrigh’, won’t break or nothin’! Nice boat, ain’t she? She’s me little beaut she is, buil’ ‘er with me dear ol’ man back when I was just a wee sailor’s boy. Pretty decent, eh? I call ‘er Sandra, Sandy fer short, after me mam. She’s six feet under now, poor thin’, but she did run many a tight ship in ‘er time. Bit of an inspiration really in our part of the waters, shame I turned out… well, like I did. I was an only child, raised by me parents on our boat. Me dad loved ‘avin’ me around, in fact, we still go on our weekly fishin’ trips t’ this day. Me mam though, she never was keen on me. Said I wasn’t up t’ the standard of the rest of our crew. Always did get pissed over that – me own mam sayin’ I wasn’t good enough fer ‘er ship? ‘ah! Well, got me own crew now ain’t I. Or, I did ‘ave…

I guess I better fill yer in on me lovelies before I go into all that though, I tried tellin’ me dad but I think I made ‘im a bit muddled, better not do the same t’ yer now! Right, well, me first in command, that’d be Shawn. Bit of a simple one is our Shawnie, right lanky fella’ with ‘air lighter than ‘ay an’ eyes bluer than the ocean we sail on. ‘e means well though, always gets shit done. Well, when ‘e remembers t’ that is. Can’t blame the guy I suppose, forced t’ grow up alone on some deserted island until I found ‘im. ‘e was only fifteen, still a kid at the time an’ ‘ad no clue where the ‘ell ‘e even was, let alone ‘ow ‘e got there. Said ‘is parents left ‘im there as a little ‘un, taught ‘im ‘ow t’ start a fire an’ spear meat an’ left ‘im t’ get on with it. I felt sorry fer the lad back then, so I took ‘im on me ship an’ on me ship ‘e stayed, even though ‘e’s pushin’ ‘is mid-thirties now. ‘e was as sprightly as a teenager, three sheets t’ the wind, without even ‘avin’ a God damn drop of rum. I swear, that fella could jump overboard an’ swim t’ the nearest island – an’ don’t think ‘e ain’t tried.

 I feel quite sorry fer ‘im really – ‘e might go ‘round the ship sayin’ ‘ow much ‘e cares about all of us an’ ‘ow we’re ‘is family, but it’s nothin’ special. Not like real family. ‘e ain’t got no wife, no kids, no memory of any other family aside from ‘is parents who’ve scarred ‘im fer life. Well, ‘e does ‘ave that damn little mongrel of ‘is, Talty, the ship’s ‘royal mascot’. Although nowadays ‘e can’t get offa’ ‘is fat arse t’ guard anythin’ aside from ‘is bowl. The lad ‘imself ain’t much better, or so I’ve ‘eard. ‘is memory ain’t improved in the slightest an’ ‘e’s just got this mardy look on ‘is face, nothin’ like what ‘e used t’ be. I know somethin’s up, but I daren’t ask what. Not just yet.

Right, who’s next? Better be Kenny, I suppose. Kenny was our engineer, when ‘e wasn’t fuckin’ about in the ship’s ‘old that is. ‘e spent most of ‘is time down there, inventin’ one thin’ or another, ‘alf of it was of no use t’ us but ‘e still insisted on keepin’ it all. No wonder we sank so fast…

Eh, I’m gettin’ ahead of m’self now. Anyway, yeah, Kenny. ‘e’s the eldest one of us, almost in ‘is sixties now. Yer wouldn’t think it though, the amount of drinks ‘e knocks back in one go an’ the trouble ‘e gets ‘imself into. I’ve ‘eard ‘e’s slowed down with that though, prob’ly fer the best really. God knows ‘ow ‘e kept goin’ on but ‘e did, gettin’ up at the crack of dawn just t’ see the sun rise. ‘e said it was the best time fer fishin’ and true t’ ‘is word ‘e’d always ‘ave a bucket load of fish by the time we woke up. ‘e’s a dab ‘and at cookin’ too, God knows ‘ow the rest of us aren’t as bi’ as balloons. Kenny was, well, ‘e insisted ‘e was just “cuddly”, but ‘e was fine with that. Prefered sittin’ on ‘is ass all day than gettin’ up and exercisin’ anyway. Kenny ‘asn’t changed a bit in that sense. Only now ‘e doesn’t want t’ get up at all. Although no matter ‘ow ‘ard ‘e tries now, it’s all a waste of time anyway.

Eh, movin’ on… J.C.? ‘e’s a funny one, is our J.C. T’ this day I still don’t know ‘is actual name, though ‘e insists it’s Joe Cool. ‘e would though. ‘e’s a proper womaniser, tryin’ out line after line on all the busty sea wenches. Most of the time ‘e just gets shot down faster than a ball out of our cannon, but when it works… well, we don’t ‘ear the end of it. I swear there’s somethin’ fishy about the bloke though. I dunno what it is… refuses t’ remove ‘is sunglasses apart from when ‘e’s sleepin’ (an’ God forbid if you disturb ‘im), insists on dockin’ every few weeks so ‘e can buy some new jeans (“gotta keep in style, eh?”) and refuses t’ accept ‘is premature baldness is down t’ anythin’ but the “unorthodox arrangement of the air molecules when we’re out at sea”. God knows what goes in inside ‘is ‘ead. Still, e’s a useful fella, got a good eye fer direction an’ whatnot. Was always the mellowest of the lot too, endin’ any tiff in seconds just by lookin’ at us and forcin’ a beer in our ‘ands. ‘e did like ‘is beer. Liked most things really, apart from the ‘uge storms that sent waves cascadin’ over the edge of the ship – and all over ‘im. ‘e’d swear like a sailor and ‘ide away, ‘elpin’ Kenny with ‘is latest gizmo or listenin’ t’ the radio with Shawn or findin’ Mona and givin’ each other manicures. All that changed in ’92 though. ‘e ‘ated every single one of us, refusin’ t’ speak t’ us ever again. All because of what ‘appened t’ Mona…

Ah, Mona. The only one with ‘er ‘ead screwed on properly. Kept all of us in line yer know, makin’ sure we didn’t do anythin’ too stupid. She ain’t borin’ though, far from it. She’s a red-’eaded, cigar-smokin’, beer-chuggin’ empress of the ‘igh seas. Bit like Kenny, really. Then again, she is ‘is great-niece, what would yer expect? She was sent t’ live with great-Uncle Kenny back in the late eighties, when she was only fourteen. Wasn’t the feminine little darlin’ ‘er old man wanted, said she was a disappointment an’ she needed t’ learn some old-fashioned manners. Kenny became ‘er guardian after that. ‘er old man never knew ‘e was a pirate - an’ ‘ell, our boat was no place fer a girl t’ grow up – but ‘e didn’t ‘ave much choice. She was on our boat within a mere few ‘ours, tellin’ us we were pathetic old men who ‘ad no lives. Luckily fer us she soon shut ‘er mouth after the “shark attack”, although she still never learnt those manners ‘er dad wanted ‘er t’. In fact, she ended up getting’ tips of J.C. instead of the other way around, ‘im ‘elpin’ ‘er t’ fake tan legs without it smudgin’ or somethin’ in return fer ‘er ‘elpin’ ‘im pick up women. Worked like a charm – they all cooed over the little red-’eaded teenage pirate. She still never let ‘er guard down though, never let anyone mess with ‘er.

Except they did. Five years ago t’ this day, we were fightin’ the toughest, roughest gan’ I’d ever seen. They weren’t nice guys, more like the pirates yer ‘ear about on the radio, wanted fer sedition an’ kidnappin’a n’ molestation. An’ that’s what they did. Took ‘er away in exchange fer a ransom note, getting’ us t’ give up all we ‘ad in exchange fer ‘er safe return. But it wasn’t safe. Not in the slightest. We thought we were clever. We thought we could get ‘er back in one piece an’ still keep everythin’ of value tucked away safely in the ‘ull of our ship. It didn’t ‘appen though. They tore ‘er apart, sawin’ planks an’ ‘ammerin’ away at me beauty until she collapsed, forcin’ us t’ abandon ‘er with nothin’ but the clothes on our backs. No riches, no memories, no Mona. They didn’t let ‘er go fer weeks, months even. We tried t’ rebuild Sandy, thinkin’ we could fix every splinter an’ paint over the cracks an’ find our little girl. But that didn’t ‘appen either. J.C. became distant, givin’ up an’ sayin’ it wasn’t worth it, our boat was junk an’ we’d never find ‘er. I think ‘e blamed me – ‘e upped an’ left a few days later, tellin’ Kenny ‘e was gonna forget ‘e ever set foot on the dirty ship. Kenny said ‘e needed a break, goin’ into retirement because ‘e couldn’t take anythin’ like this ‘appenin’ again. ‘e went back t’ ‘is old street, my old street. The street where me dad’d pull in every few months t’ replenish our stock, see ‘is old friends, let me see what dry land was really like. I could go back if I wanted t’. Take Shawnie with me. ‘e was the only one who stayed with me through that, like I did all them years ago when I found ‘im on the island. ‘e might not ‘ave been there all the time, but God damn, ‘e knew me better than anyone. We could just… go. Leave Sandy be an’ get a real search party t’ find Mona. Shawnie liked the idea. Prob’ly too much. ‘e left there an’ then, said ‘e’d find us somewhere while I sorted the boat an’ wait fer me t’ return. ‘Cept I never did. I lied t’ ‘im, carried on buildin’ Sandy instead, ‘oled up in some abandoned warehouse near the shore we’d washed up on. Weeks went by, months. I forgot the world even existed in all ‘onesty, ‘till Shawn came back that is. ‘e looked ‘alf-dead ‘imself but that wasn’t the emergency ‘e was squealin’ about. No, this was somethin’ far, far worse…

Character Images

*Character's names and appearances are subject to change. Quinn, Kenny and Mona are likely to stay the same. J.C. needs new hair, sunglasses and possibly darker skin. Shawn will probably be completely remade at some point because I made him when I was half asleep and I couldn't give a toss at that point.*

The Lawless Jedi

The planet of Coruscant is the capital of the Galactic Republic, the ruling government of the galaxy that has existed for over 25 thousand years. The planet is just one amongst hundreds, perhaps even thousands, in the galaxy but it is arguably the capital of all of them, it has been said that the entire planet is one big city.
 The Jedi Order is an ancient monastic peacekeeping organization unified by its belief and observance of the Force, specifically the light side. The Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic, and are famous for their reliance on the Force for their power. Their iconic weapons are lightsabers, a custom-made hilt with a blade of pure energy. Led by a series of Jedi Councils, the Order grew over the millennia despite facing many trials, most often threats from the Sith, wielders of the dark side of the Force.
The Force is: "Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." With their knowledge and use of the Force, those with the sensitivity and required training within the Jedi Order, have the ability to use and manipulate the Force, therefore giving them superior athletic abilities, foresight, psychokinesis, manipulation of weaker minds (the most famous example being this) and so on, depending on how powerful they are. The light side of the Force is concerned with the ideals of good, benevolence, and healing. Followers of the light side (Jedi) strive to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the light side of the Force, its practitioners often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these are thought to bring on acceptance of the dark side. As for the dark side, well just think Darth Vader for now.
 The Jedi are trained from a young age (a test is performed on the blood of all newborns throughout the galaxy for Force sensitivity) at their temple on Coruscant, their HQ, in groups by highly qualified Jedi masters/knights. Before they reach the age of 13 they must be taken on as a Padawan by a Jedi Knight or Master, it's a teaching relationship that can span two decades and it's up to their master to decide when they are ready to face the trials to Knighthood. When they are a fully fledged Jedi Knight they take on various Jedi duties, missions given to them by the Jedi council, and so on. The title of Jedi Master is the highest formal rank obtainable by a member of the Jedi Order. Reserved for those who had shown exceptional devotion and skill as well as balance in the Force and often combat, only individuals who had been given the rank of Master could sit on the Jedi High Council.
 A Jedi dedicates his life to the Order and leavings are rare, marriage is also firmly banned and relationships discouraged. Honour, self-discipline and compassion are qualities importantly upheld by them, but most of all their duty to the Republic. In accordance with their philosophies of non-attachment, clothing is viewed as quite disposable. Indeed, possession itself is seen as forbidden as another form of attachment, and most Jedi lived out lives of material poverty, though the Order's infrastructure and the support of the Republic meant the Jedi did not lack for food, housing, or clothing.

The Jedi Temple in Coruscant

So with all that out of the way, I shall begin the story! Feel free to ask me for an explanation on anything though. ;)

Black and White

At 9:15am on the 15th of May 2002, world famous musician Ian White was murdered in his own home, a French chateau. His killer was never found and neither was his 14 year old daughter who went missing the same day. Following his last wish Amy ran and never looked back. While the world was still reeling in shock at the news a girl named Sarah Black was accepted into a small french orphanage.
At the orphanage she meets spy rookie Daniel Shaw and his partner and boss Owen McCroy in the village. Having gotten used to the backstreets and being small for her age she helps them with their mission immensely, and Owen remembers to pay a visit to the orphanage when she reaches 18...
Amy White, adored daughter of an international superstar who was all set to follow in his footsteps no longer exists. This is the story of MI6 agent Sarah Black.

Sarah is now 25 and has been assigned to a mission in France along with her partner Jacob Torvill to track down a wine connoisseur who has a taste for manipulating secret agents, gaining their secrets and selling them to the highest bidder for fun. Sarah doesn't like it considering the agent-manipulating situation as she doesn't trust or know her partner, but her boss Daniel (an agent in his early 30s, retired to a desk job as an old mission with Sarah left his legs unstable) insists that she's the one he trusts most for the job, so she has to. However just as she expected Jacob betrays her, leaving her out in the cold in what is turning out to be a very dangerous mission. Daniel insists on joining her as they try to track down the real puppet master behind it all and Sarah finds love, her father's killer, danger and revenge all waiting for her there. She has to push the limits more than ever before but the question is, has she pushed them so far that the media will find and expose her first?

The Last Lion

Folks in the secluded town of Hartley have always whispered and told old tales of the animals in the woods that surround it, intelligent animals, the legend of the men that become beasts. The tales go back all the way to the 13th century, but of course nobody has believed them in a long time, certainly not in this day and age. However the old superstition of it being bad luck to hunt on a full moon stays strong amongst the population and hunting the suspected animals is discouraged, no matter what anyone says.

In fact the Sheriff, John Hartley, has been known to prosecute anyone he finds hunting out of season or the designated areas harshly. As the town's Sheriff and descendant of its founder, Alben Hartley, John is well-liked as the town's confidant and protector, his kids and wife are known to be quiet but kindly people too, the Hartley's home is always an open one for unexpected guests but they're very wary of who they let in. Much like deer.
  He isn't the big-cheese in the town though despite what outsiders might expect. That title belongs in part to Geoff Richmond and his family, by far the richest in town. Their expansive house is situated just next to the Haneron River on the edge of the woods, before it falls to the town below. Geoff and his wife Felicity always have the most important say in the goings-on of Hartley when they care enough to get involved, or the most influential perhaps as they both have a certain presence that no one dares to counter. A sort of elegant grace that you're fascinated to watch, but also having the certainty that they could rip you apart in seconds with their fluid imbs, if they considered you worthy of their attention. Just like a panther in fact. With a late-teenage son and daughter, both equally snooty and spoiled, their family was complete. That was, until Geoff's infamous brother Chris Hayder tragically died and his orphaned daughter was sent to live with the Richmonds. An intelligent city girl with flaming red hair, Vivian Hayder is a very interesting subject to the citizens of Hartley, newcomers being very uncommon and the lack of explanation and events around her father's death are very curious indeed...
  Of course the other half of the big-cheese title is firm property of Arthur Torben, known to everyone as just "Ben", the big, loud and friendly mayor of the town who seems to be everyone's ally and enemy at the same time. He appears to be on everyone's side and is always fair in settling arguments, but threaten his territory or large family then you'd better be prepared for a fight you can't win. He lives up near the mountains where the wood is thickest and his pride of his grizzly beard is well-known. His strangling bear-hugs are renowned amongst his friends too.
  The rivalry between Robert Conan and Geoff Richmond is well known for miles around, the two big-timers that are always fighting over in that strange tightly-knit town in the valley. The Conan-Richmond rivalry has existed for eons, it used to involve the Hayder family too until the tragic death of Chris and the dissipation of the other Hayders. It was rare that they ever came together though as the Conans were the head-honcho of their own town to the east, but then like with all the other families that aren't originally from Hartley, it all seemed to fall apart as their family members tragically died and they came together in Hartley for support.
Robert and his youngest son Seth are all that seemingly remains of the once large family of Conan. Ever since the death of his wife and disappearance of his oldest son Robert's mood never seems to shift from the grouchiness of an old dog and his pessimistic, snide remarks are as harsh as a wolf-bite. But nonetheless he is still Robert Conan, ears as sharp as a wolf's and a mind twice that, it's just a pity he only utilises his abilities for himself nowadays and spends too much time wallowing in his own self-pity. Seth however is always that energetic little pup he was as a kid, and is always making up for his dad's pessimism. He just wishes he had his strong and quick-thinking older brother back to even it all out again.
  The Marshalls have always had a hoof in the door of Hartley and all of the other shifter-regulated towns, making their transition to Hartley the easiest of all of the families, it was like they'd always been there in the first place. Hailey Marshall is a strong-minded woman with an apparent passion for horses, she has over 20 on the large ranch Ben gave her. Strangely the horses never appear near the ranch while she has her many guests around, usually they roam in the forest and many acres of fields she owns. Her excuse for the frequent guests is long-lost family members. Which is actually true, she has no immediate family or male companions herself but a lot of cousins and their families etc. She's as strong as a horse but still maintains some feminine qualities, though she's well learnt in ways of combat, being familiar with a gun since she was young. As a whole the Marshall family are sturdy, well-liked and loyal but prefer not to take sides in the eon-long "Cat-dog war" but will honour any friendship. Hailey, also having a strong head for leadership, frequently advises Ben on the "family council".
  Another fairly new presence in Hartley are the Crevans. They've been around for a few years now but the citizens of Hartley still aren't used to their tricky ways. Freddie Crevan is the head of the family and pretty much sums up the rest of his many brothers, sister and children: cheeky, irish, ginger and very very sly. Nobody is quite sure whose side they're on, they're constantly switching and adapting, and are as quick as foxes when they sniff danger. They're fond of pranks and make hilarious conversation, but if you make one your friend just watch your back, you never know when their agenda will change and you'll find they're best buds with your enemy the next day if their survival depends on it. Because of this they're one of the biggest families and have ears, eyes, burrows and back-passages everywhere, making them just useful enough for the bigger and more hot-headed families to not tell the Crevans just what they think of them.
  The Blake family are reclusive ones, preferring not to get tied up in the affairs of everyone else down in Hartley but don't take it for disinterest, they're always listening into them with ears like a bat. They just can't be bothered to come down from their cave to get involved. Their house is situated on the north-eastern edge of the woods, right near some large caves that go into the mountains. A charismatic and cheeky young guy, Jason Blake is always pushing the buttons of the other family leaders but even he knows their limits, when he's got all the information he needs out of them that is. As the bachelor head of the family he's determined to keep it that way, this guy is too busy nosying and observing the goings on of the shifter world to be bothered with tiny bat wings fluttering about. Besides, he has his nephews and niece for that. The Blakes are usually only interested in themselves and rarely show themselves, but they know exactly when to move in to get the best out of a deal or alliance. They see everything from everyone's point of view, rarely making their own heard, and the families always end up going to them when they've lost themselves by chasing their own tails for too long. They haven't come down from their cave for a long while, but ever the opportunist Jason has been watching one person in particular for a long time and has seen in her for years what the others are only just beginning to , and is sizing up just how long it is until she comes to him, and what he can ask for in return from a legend...
  Of all the people in Hartley, even the Richmonds, the Swanns are easily the most pretentious. They certainly don't have a problem about proclaiming what they are to the world with their name, never failing to be smug about how they're protected by the British monarchy, and with their platinum blonde hair, Layla Swann and her brothers even look like one! They're itching to get out of this small "hillbilly" town, used to their luxurious villas on the coast, but they stick around despite all their moaning because they know that this is the safest place left for them now, especially as they're down to just 3 members. Not that they'll admit it of course. Robert Conan eloquently calls them "useless sycophants that are only good for making the lake look pretty" and Geoff Richmond of course defends them to counter his adversary, even though he secretly agrees with him. But before the end even the Swanns will prove their value in the terrible time that is to come, and it will.
  The only shifter family not to conform to the community of Hartley are the Adlers, and the remnants of the other avian shifters. Instead they stubbornly stay in their town of Darvell, the breathtaking mountain valley far to the north-east-east of Hartley. Instead of being directly related like the others the Adler family mostly just share the same descendant, and the ones that call themselves Adler were lucky enough to inherit the form of an eagle, because not every shifter-descendant does. However three were directly related, the current leader Ethan, his sister Marion and their uncle Renald. The great scandal of Marion running away with the great lion, Chris Hayder, the leader of all the shifters, was infamous and the wise eagles never forgot that he stole their leader-to-be, and got her killed. Chris could never explain to them exactly how she died because he didn't know, witnesses told of a big argument between Chris and Marion happening before it so that was enough for the Adlers to place all the blame on him. They separated themselves from the shifter council that day and when Chris died 14 years later they were highly upset that the child wasn't put in their care, considering they had the maternal link. However almost the entire shifter council opposed them and Vivian was put in the care of the Richmonds.
The Adlers were always considered the wisest of the shifters, and as the leaders of the avians they had a power and respect amongst the council almost equal to the Hayders. Their split from the council caused a great rift and it was all over one couple, one child...It only weakened the shifter's situation even more and as the thing they all dread becomes true, will Ethan Adler pull himself and his people together or will they turn a blind eye and fly south for the winter as the most powerful shifter of them all loses control?

Darkwave

In the shady dockside area of the bustling, star-studded city of Bridgeport lies Waylon's Haunt, a small and seedy bar which often hosts the moody alt rock band, Darkwave.
They used to be a three piece consisting of three guys escaping their previous dull lives, girlfriends or werewolf-racism, mucking around with instruments and desperately trying to get gigs at local pubs. Then when the dark, mysterious and talented Neil Brett came out of the blue, wanting to join a small-time band to escape into, their fortunes suddenly burst through the ceiling.
Now a notable part of Bridgeport's underground alternative music scene, Darkwave are known for being seductive, mysterious, only playing in the dark and also for having a strange dark mist surrounding them onstage that's almost wing-like... However despite having a small fanbase, an lp deal and regular gigs they've never hit the big time or attracted any attention, they almost seem to avoid it. They're also renowned for having a strong disregard for rules. Turning up late, demanding 2x as much money, sleeping with their hirer's girlfriend, you name it. In fact this is all because of their headman, Neil Brett. With the appearance he gives off onstage his female devotees often expect him to be tall, dark, handsome and suave, just waiting for the right woman to fill his heart. However it's quite the opposite, he's fairly short and though good looking in his own way he's no Brad Pitt (just picking a random "good looking" stereotype there xD). He's also a git through and through, and the only relationships he has are one night stands but the other band members put up with all of this because without him, they'd be nothing. He wasn't always like this though, the past that he's running from is a dark one and living with that and without peer or responsibility, it hasn't exactly been good for his mentality.
However as well as he's hidden from his past so far, not even a fairy can hide in the dark of seedy dance clubs forever.
Newcomers in Bridgeport are common, dozens file in every day to experience the hub of a city, but one girl in particular is here to track down one band and one man in particular, and she doesn't even like them. Her name is Ari Moore (not her birth name) and like Brett, she's a fairy. However that's where the similarities end because the two are so different, she wouldn't even think of putting herself within a mile of him. But as much as she hates to admit it she needs him, because he was once a Darkwing, a staunch protector of the royal family of Del Islair. However he found something, something awful, something that is the truth of what happened to her disappeared brother. Before Ari could look into it everything had been hushed up, the trail had gone cold and Brett had disappeared.
So now with Ari threatening Brett to reveal his location if he doesn't help, they try to hunt down her brother. Both despise eachother mutually (Ari disgusted at what he's let himself become and Brett hating being blackmailed and having his past dragged up again) but as the search goes on they begin to stop helping themselves and helping eachother instead. Then just when they'd begun to warm up to eachother Ari's brother is found and Brett is imprisoned by the King. Will Ari have found something in Brett and Bridgeport that's worth living for and help him escape, or will she go back to her old life as a fairy princess?
Gameplay:
Neil Brett - Hot-Tempered, Mean Spirited, Flirty, Virtuoso, Brave.
Ari Moore - Family Oriented, Brave, Snob, Good, Hopeless Romantic.
 Make an apartment house for the Darkwave members, one for Ari too, and play Darkwave getting gigs as a band around the city. Ari tries to meet and then get along with Neil (hard considering his traits), eventually they find her brother wandering around somewhere in Bridgeport, preferably the graveyard. Ari then goes home with all 3 (world transfer via Nraas mod, Moonlight Falls?) and Neil is imprisoned in a gateless fenced square on her family's lot. After a while Ari has a big argument with her father and frees Neil (via a fairy teleport spell if it exists) and they run away to somewhere, make babies and live happileh ever after! ^_^

The Forest of Lithran

Ok so to start us off here is my fondest, most ignored idea xD

It's a medieval-fantasy.

The vast and wild forest of Lithran, endless in the old language, is where suitable, hand-picked citizens of Belegarda are taken to train and to protect their country from the creatures of the other-land, who Belegarda has been warring against for centuries. How long they must serve is not defined, it's more of a how long until they find, or win, a way out.
The chosen citizens will find upon their arrival (i.e waking up unconscious on the forest floor) that they may have few memories of their personal lives before they were chosen, it varies from person to person, some remember everything yet some remember nothing; they are the first to die. The Officials proclaim it's the affect of being outside the city's protected walls, but some say otherwise...
Upon awakening the new trainees also find that they have been placed close to the home of a Guardian, a trainee who has fought, survived and entertained the public enough to be promoted by the Officials into this "Moderator" position. It is their responsibility to provide initial training for the new trainee that is placed outside their door every 3 years, provide experienced "guarding" of Lithran and keeping the trainees and Forest-Born "in-line", even killing them if necessary, but also to keep it entertaining. For the occurrences of Lithran's trainees have long been observed by the citizens of Belegarda as entertainment, the trainee with the largest following after 5 years wins a return to Belegarda, while the others remain in Lithran. Bets are a common thing, the less privileged of the citizens have even been known to blow their entire life's savings in the hope of gaining fortune from a favoured trainee outlasting the others. The Guardians -or Entertainers as they're sometimes called- each have their own special motif or characteristic, some having large followings and popularity amongst the population, and for doing all this and obeying the Officials they're paid with the ability to return to Belegarda once per year. If they don't, they die.
 Escape from Lithran is deemed almost impossible, only a handful of trainees have actually returned to Belegarda over the 100 years the tradition's been held, and not all returned sane.
 The environment of Lithran is mostly wild and endless forest, the trees seem to reach up for miles and to find a clearing is rare. There are many forts, camps and settlements in the trees of course. The forts being either abandoned or accompanied by a Guardian, and the settlements can be the size of a village. For they are made and inhabited by trainees, old and new, their families and the "Forest Born", people descended from the early trainees and have never seen the inside of the City Walls. However many many miles to the west the forest eventually subsides and there are the desolate plains and eventually deserts of the other-land. To the east are the 80 ft high walls of Belegarda. If you went North you'd eventually come to the shores of Belegarda, but the Officials would never allow that.
 There are 27 Guardians, and each one can have 1-7 mentored trainees, depending on their status and endurance of their trainees. Each having ranks among themselves, as to them the whole thing has become a race to get the most points, amass the largest following and get the most time to go home. For example Orodar the Barbarian is a very popular Guardian with a large following and power, few of the Guardians would dare to cross him but even he wouldn't dare to cross Angelo, the top Guardian.
 Not all trainees do as they are intended however. Some, particularly the older ones or those who remember the least, do all they can to gather the memories and knowledge of the other trainees and try to piece together why they were sent here, and what they're really supposed to be doing in the wilds of Lithran. They are known as the Banished. It was them who discerned that they were brain-washed, and it is now, after 100 years of gathering memories, that they've realised Lithran isn't just a training ground, a game or a war against the other-world; it's a prison.
 Of course the other trainees, Guardians and Forest-Born refuse to listen to or accept it, because everyone knows that anyone who go against the Officials are abandoned and scorned, no chance of gaining a following, favour of a Guardian, no chance of going home.