1. Writing Project

1.1. What's this all about? How do I use it?

This is a joint storywriting project - anyone can edit anything. It was created by CarolinePearson, but there's no creative restrictions being imposed by me, other than that you should maintain consistency with existing material when adding to it!

I've set it up with a table of contents at the top, with the following categories:

• Contributors (if you're writing stuff, you may as well take credit for it, even if the bits you do aren't explicitly labelled)
• Characters (if you bring a character into the story, write a bit about them here to help with consistency)
• Cosmology (if the world in which the story is set works in a certain way, it can be useful to say so)
• Current Story (what it says on the tin)

If you're not familiar with how to edit a wiki, take a look through HelpOnEditing, although to be honest, once you click the 'Edit this page' link http://wiki.earth.li/WritingProject?action=edit at the bottom of this page, it's fairly intuitive...

1.2. Contributors

• CarolinePearson

• RobertBakerSelf

1.3. Characters

RobertBakerSelf - Suggestion For Pantheon of Gods:

• Scaelmir : God of Earth. The oldest of the four siblings, Scaelmir is always working to bring peace and harmony back to the world. He often presents as a large and cheerful man, with a ready smile and a deep voice.
• Asemwen : God of Wind. Second in age to Scaelmir. Asemwen is changeable, unreliable, unsure whether to ally with Vesimer or with Brannve. She regards Scaelmir as a slow-witted fool.

  • CarolinePearson - I'd suggest a clearer water/air conflict, given what's written already (possbily one that gets mostly resolved by the rise of Scaelmir, with the resulting passionate tiffs (flings?) resulting in various kinds of weather (children?)

• Vesimer : God of Water. Third in the family, Vesimer is vengeful and capricious. His argument and long fought war with Brannve has rent the Gods and caused many of the problems on the Earth.

  • CarolinePearson - See above!

• Brannve : God of Fire. The youngest of the family, Brannve is quick to anger and hard to placate. Her argument with Vesimer and (less seriously) with Scaelmir and Asemwen has led to earthquakes, tidal waves, droughts and volcanoes, amongst many other woes.

1.4. Cosmology/non-explicit backplot

CarolinePearson - Eh...let's start with the beginning of time/existence & go from there. Saves backplot! I like the 'mini-pantheon' RBS has suggested above - as things are now we just have water, air and lightening (fire), with yet no mention of Earth - I'd suggest that in fact there *isn't* yet anything 'parting the waters' - or at least, not anything visible. Of course, if does make sense that the sea-bed should have existed before the sea, but perhaps has not yet risen up to tear water and air apart? Also worth noting that thunder/noise hasn't yet arrived, so everything is happening in a purely visual manner!

1.5. Current story

In the very beginning, before there were eyes to watch or minds to remember; the elements warred. The unbounded oceans were lashed by the storms of the ether, and in retaliation sent great spears of water into the skies, dampening the primeval winds as they fell back as mist. Lightning gashed open the heavens, sending shadows racing across the waves, and with that first light, darkness was defined and made real.

With the light came the ability to see, for without light there is no sight and without sight there was nothing before. In the brightness of this new world, there was perfect silence, for sound had not yet been born. For now, illuminated by lightning, the tempestuous elements locked gazes, then turned to the fiery newcomer.

Then all was still and the elements stood in wary expectation. Moments pass, and still nothing, then slowly, quietly a trickle begins, a very quiet sound, a crack of sudden sound then everything moves again. The cachophony of the warring elements rends through the silence of the previous age and thus sound is brought to the world and with it the newcomer joins in the war.

"If I find time I might join in. However, I have a definite renaissance style in my head for the sort of thing that you are talking about at the moment so I'll just watch for the moment..." - ChrisVenus