What's for Dinner?

Ok, I really think maybe I haven't been eating enough lately. Why, you ask? Well, because I was just noting that just about every single chapter I have written so far has mentioned food of some kind. Haven't noticed that yet? Well, you probably will.

Now I love food, but I have an even more practical notion about why I have made mention of this so often (which I hope will become less as I go on), and this is simply because I don't think enough attention is paid to normal, everyday activities like eating, bathing, and relieving oneself in the course of natural bodily functions in books. I mean, these are things that everyone has to do... so why don't the characters in books do them? Or are the authors just leaving all that interesting stuff out.

For instance, in Syndra's case, she has never had to experience catching, preparing, cooking, etc. her own food. It's always been done for her. She's never had to think about bathing, someone has always come and done it for her. She's never... well, you get the point. She has had a very sheltered life.

Malik, on the other hand, has had extensive practice in living off the land and procuring his own nourishment, and thusly, will usually be doing these tasks. However, keen mind that Syndra has, she wants to know how to do everything, why things are this way, why you do things that way. Really kind of annoying, but she's a smart gal so she catches on quickly and doesn't have to have things explained to her twice.

Now I am going to go back and do a brief re-write, because I read something somewhere recently about how there's never a comment about hairy legs in romance novels. Um, yeah, historical romances especially... like they were shaving their legs back then. So I am going to address this point in my book. Syndra gets waxed, oh yes, indeedy! Ouch, that's a lot of skin that's being subjected to that, but hey, she's used to it. What she won't be used to is wandering around the countryside with all these prickly hairs popping out all over the place. So, it won't be dwelt on, but it will be mentioned, which I hope some readers might find endearing. Makes it all seem more real, yeah?

Ok, ok, back to food. What kinds of foods will they eat in Lunatia? Well, in the palace, you will obviously find lots of rich, succulent foods. Lots of spices, that sort of thing. I am envisioning curries, stews, whole roasted animals, that sort of thing. If you've been reading along, Chapter 5 coming soon has some interesting stuff involving food.... hmmm... But on the road, food is much simpler, they'll be catching fish, harvesting berries and other fruits, greens, catching rabbits, hey, maybe Malik will shoot a deer... Prolly not, awful lot of meat for two people... Maybe when they get some company.

Bread is like my favorite comfort food of all time, and I am seeing lots of fried bread (see: cornbread), flat bread (ie: pita, tortillas), that kind of thing. Best examples of what kind of foods you might eat in Lunatia? Take a trip to an Indian or Moroccan restaurant, and that's what you'll likely find in the palace, on a more subdued scale in the country.

All this being said, I am going to find a recipe for you, so let's have:

Lunatian Chicken (aka Chicken Jalfrezi, courtesy : www.indian-food-recipe.com

Chicken breasts - 1/2 kg
Oil - 1/2 cup
Onion (Piyaz) - 2 no's chopped
Ginger (Adrak) - 1 inch striped
Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon
Vinegar (Sirka) - 2 tablespoon
Ketchup (Sauce) - 1 teaspoon
Tomatoes (Tamatar)- 2 no's diced
Green chilies (Hari mirch) - 2 no's
Red chili powder (Lal mirch) - 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper powder (Kali mirch) - 2 tablespoon
Mono sodium Glutamate - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Wash, clean the chicken thoroughly and cut chicken into long thin strips.
Heat oil in a pan and add onions and fry until transparent, then add ginger, chicken and
soy sauce and fry for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, green chilies, chili powder and salt and cook on medium heat, stirring
occasionally for 5-6 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add vinegar, black pepper, mono sodium glutamate and ketchup, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Now, I would imagine it would be ok to leave out the MSG, but you would want to serve this with some kind of bread, I like Parantha (you can find a recipe above), but for a cheap substitute, find some really soft pita and you'd be ok. Enjoy!

What Is Seduction...

Seduction... hmm... powerful term here huh?

I have reached a point in my writing where Syndra and Malik are at an understanding... The sexual tension is there, but they are both resisting... Oh, I love it when they do that... But you can't hold out forever, not when there are two characters as HAWT as these two are... whew!

So my question is, what is a great way to get these two back together? I have it! It's dancing...

And I'm not talking about just any old kind of dancing... Not to spoil it too much, but Syndra and Malik are going to be meeting up with a band of gypsies before too long, and traveling with them for awhile... This is Syndra's opportunity to really become involved in a social group, and find herself, if you will... Malik is watching from afar, like he does... and then we have: Belly Dancing!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance

I am so dying to take a belly dancing class! I think it is one of the most beautiful art forms and empowering dances out there... The movements are sexy, and coming from someone who used to LOVE to dance, and I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE, when you find that place in your mind and become one with the music, well... wow...
I used to work at a renaissance faire (yes, I am one of those weirdos in costume), and every time I got near a drum jam I couldn't help but join in with the other dancers, though I had no formal training, it just kind of takes you with it....

Will Malik be able to restrain himself? Hmmm...

But let us please take the time to really read this article, because belly dancing is an ART form, it is NOT glorified, stylized STRIPPING!!! I will be portraying as it originated, a social activity for women... If you have never seen a live belly dancing show, find one now! But here is a decent example of what I am going for... it's long, but it is worth it!

Soundtracks...

Do you ever go through your day, music on the radio, thinking about things going on in your life, and feel like your life has a soundtrack? No, just me? Well, ok...

I've had times where I have read books and then heard a song, and said to myself, if they ever make that book a movie, this song should be on its soundtrack!

Well, I don't know if all of my song choices over the years would fit on an ACTUAL soundtrack for the books I read if they were made into movies, but still, when I hear them, I think about those books, or characters, and I am brought back to that world...

I was thinking about this because of a discussion post over at the Romance Banditas, a great blog I found by fellow writers/readers (see related blogs), and got to thinking, what songs might end up on the soundtrack for "Empress" (man, I gotta think up a new title)...

So I was riding in my car today, listening to Depeche Mode... I am a child of the 80's and 90's, yes indeedy, and I dig all that British Pop invasion during that time frame (since I missed the first go-round with the Beatles... speaking of which, who has seen "Across the Universe"? Brilliant!) Ok, back on subject... Depeche Mode... AH!

Ok, so I heard the song 'Judas' from the album "Songs of Faith Love and Devotion", (which is in a tie for fave DM album along with "Violator"), and I thought that the lyrics to that song really speaks about how Malik-Tor feels towards Syndra-Kai during this story, at the point where he feels like he is falling for her, but thinks she really needs to prove herself, since she's been rather deceitful in the beginning...

I will figure out how to get an MP3 player posted up so you can hear the song in its entirety, but for now enjoy a snippet on the mini Amazon player over there...
Here are the lyrics though:

Is simplicity best
Or simply the easiest
The narrowest path
Is always the holiest
So walk on barefoot for me
Suffer some misery
If you want my love
If you want my love

Man will survive
The harshest conditions
And stay alive
Through difficult decisions
So make up your mind for me
Walk the line for me
If you want my love
If you want my love

Idle talk
And hollow promises
Cheating Judases
Doubting Thomases
Don't just stand there and shout it
Do something about it

You can fulfill
Your wildest ambitions
And I'm sure you will
Lose your inhibitions
So open yourself for me
Risk your health for me
If you want my love
If you want my love
If you want my love
If you want my love

Ok, so I might be mad, but this song just hit me and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I decided to post about it!

Xan-Rul Casted...

So Xan-Rul is becoming quite a surprise for me... when I initially thought of this story, he was the bad guy, but I didn't have anyone for Syndra-Kai to talk to... Talk about a lonely upbringing, huh? So I thought, well what about her mother's Companion being her tutor? So he got a bigger part and I got a different bad guy now.
His role is also expanding as I write, so I feel it necessary to include images of what I conceive him to be...
And all I can see is Yul Brynner in "The King and I"...


Now poor Yul is dead, but Chow Yun Fat reprised the role of the King in "Anna and the King", however, I see him from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"...

I like Chow Yun Fat, but even better is Ken Watanabe, you know him from "The Last Samurai", "Letters From Iwo Jima", and "Memoirs of a Geisha"... I think he is just great...

Now if we could just get him to smile every so often, I picture Xan-Rul as a very serene, meditative character, but not without a sense of humor...

Malik-Tor, In Pictures...

Ok, now I have a picture in my head of Malik, he is much older than Syndra-Kai, but he can't be so old it's weird, you know?
He has that tall, dark and handsome thing going for him, and he has to be old enough to look dangerous, but he has the soul of a poet, and that has to come through his face as well.
I had a tough time trying to find the perfect blend in one person, but here are a few images to give you the idea...
I started out with an idea of Oded Fehr, you know him from The Mummy (the guy with the tattoos on his cheeks) and Resident Evil.

If only he were 20 years younger...
Then I thought about Billy Zane...


Now he is just yummy, but honestly, sorry Billy, but your acting stinks. He is just way over the top... And he's almost TOO clean-cut perfect, if you know what I mean... I need darker... Again, he's too old as well... (Malik-Tor is only 25 after all)
Ok, did some more image searching, here's a guy you'll be seeing soon, he is playing the young Captain Kirk in the latest Star Trek movie, his name is Chris Pine...

Hmmm...where else could I go for yummy actors that haven't necessarily hit mainstream yet? I know... SOAP OPERAS!!
Here's a couple that could fit the bill...
First up, we have Eyal Podell, of the Young and the Restless... wow...

Next, we have Agim Kaba, of As The World Turns...

And last but certainly not least, if I had to pick one right now that I think could do the job right, it would be Tyler Christopher, who plays Nikolas on General Hospital...

Malik-Tor has golden eyes, so contacts are in order as well, but since I cast Vanessa Hudgens as Syndra-Kai, I think these two would make a really cute couple... What do you think?

Inspiration for Syndra-Kai

I am a very visual person, so it helps me sometimes to have an actual picture of what I am holding in my mind...
So I thought I might post a few images that I have thought of when I created Syndra-Kai in my mind.
For starters, the story of Aladdin (Disney version) comes to mind... I hope I'm not straying to close to that story line, even though it's a common theme, and yes, some of the characters in there I have found to be inspirational... For one, of course, is Princess Jasmine.

But Jasmine is imperfect for my purposes, so then I think, well, if I were going to cast this as a MOVIE, what actress would I want to choose?
The absolute perfect actress that comes to mind is Elizabeth Taylor- she perfectly personifies what I think of when I picture Syndra-Kai.
As Empress, I am thinking along the lines of Liz in Cleopatra (without the horrific eye makeup).



The most striking thing to me between Liz and Syndra are her eyes and her poise.


Of course, Liz is well past her prime to actually PLAY this role, so if I were to be put in mind of a more modern, young actress, I came across Vanessa Hudgens (of High School Musical fame)... put some violet contacts on this chick and tell her to act like Liz, and I think we have a winner...

I'm going to go track down images of the rest of my main characters thus for so you can get an image yourself...

Whoops...

They weren't supposed to do that yet, they weren't! Naughty naughty...

But the words of the story were just flowing out of me, and it just happened...

One minute they were kissing, and then she was supposed to say, oh, never mind, I'm not ready, blah blah blah, and well... You'll see...

Can you wait for Chapter 6 now? I'm so sorry to be giving away these teasers, but I think everyone who likes good romance would like this one...

Whew, I think I need a cold shower myself...

Romantic Tension...

Ah, love is in the air... No wait, its just LUST!! Yet, anyway.

So I know I haven't posted the first chapter yet, it is ready, I think, but I will wait until Monday. In the meantime, I have gone on a writing kick, and just let things carry me where they will. But I just had to take a minute break, because I just wrote the first real sexual-tension loaded scene, and I just had to comment.

What do you think is sexy? This varies for so many people, but for me, it is the tiniest details. My scene involves Syndra-Kai and Malik-Tor feeding each other, and teasing each other, all while the whole palace watches, unaware of what is really going on between the two, and how hot and bothered they are feeling at the moment. I think that is just sexy as hell!

One, feeding each other in a sensual way already is hot, but when you are doing it in public, yet its still a secret, that kicks it up a notch, don't you agree? See, everyone can see what Malik is doing, but because Syndra has to wear a veil, they can't see her reactions to him. And that's not even getting into anything that might be going on underneath the table. I just have to say God Bless Malik-Tor, because he has some hell of self-restraint right about now, and I do not envy his having to stand up in front of all those people suddenly. Luckily, the cut of his clothes in my mind covers any potentially embarrassing evidence. :)

Oh you guys just wait... AWWW it's in Chapter FIVE! Hang in there, we'll get there.

Research

*Just a warning to everyone* Some of what I may be discussing or forwarding you to might be somewhat disturbing. My general thirst for knowledge means that I feel I must research every detail that might be applicable to my story, even if it is somewhat gory. Now that I've warned you, go ahead and read on.

Whoa, why the big brouhaha? Well, today I am going to talk about what it means to be a eunuch. See, Malik-Tor (new change to his name), is facing the prospect of becoming one of this club, and he's not too excited about it. Find a definition of what a eunuch is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch (one day I will figure out how to make a hotlink...)

Anywho, it's one thing to say he's facing losing his manhood, and one to wonder exactly what that might entail. So I was curious and went web-browsing. I won't list all my links here because I was at it for quite awhile.

Castration was pretty popular in a number of cultures, especially in China, India, and even amongst the Early European Church. (See Castrati in Wikipedia) Eunuchs were often quite revered or placed in positions where it was an absolute must to have someone trustworthy. Government positions, harems, that sort of thing. Anywhere the possibility of someone seeking more power and passing it on to their offspring was likely. Political overthrows were entirely possible in many places, and being a eunuch meant you couldn't have children yourself, therefore less likely to have personal aims to strive for.

There are a number of methods one might choose to castrate a human, and I was thinking... Just what would the people of Lunatia think was appropriate? Castration generally falls into two categories: medical and chemical. I won't discuss chemical because its a more recent development, and when I think of Lunatia, they are somewhere pre-Industrial Revolution, and they've been doing this for centuries, so chemical is not likely where they would have gone with this.

Medical castration as well comes in different forms as well, but let's discuss the two main ones, surgical and burdizzo.

Surgical castration means exactly that; you can cut off everything completely, you can completely remove the testicles, or you can just cut the vas deferens, which is what happens during a vasectomy. (However, after a vasectomy, because the testicles are intact, sex drive is unimpaired. For Lunatians' purpose, we want to get rid of this as well, so vasectomy is not the way to go here.) The primary method chosen by ancient cultures seems to be complete removal, and yes I do mean complete, the WHOLE package is gone. Surgery can be quite risky, what with all the blood vessels involved, plus the chance of infection. Plus, the mental pictures here are quite gory, and I don't think it lends itself to a good chance at explaining delicately.

Burdizzo castration is similar to the methods chosen when castrating animals, which is done ALL the time, for any number of reasons. Basically, there is a giant clamp (called a burdizzo) applied to the testicles (everything else is left intact), which cuts off the supply of blood to those organs. This kills the organs, they shrivel up and are re-absorbed by the body. There is a chance this method might fail; perhaps the clamp is placed incorrectly, or the body might recover. However, if you were going to be "nice" about it, this is probably the best method.

I read testimonials online from men who desired castration, for whatever reason, including horror stories about people who chose to do it to themselves. It seems to me that they agree that the burdizzo method is the most "gentle". I don't care what anyone says.... OUCH and OMG are what comes to mind. But I have to with where the story takes me....

Ok, so there's the gory details. I chose burdizzo, simply because it seems the method most likely to have been chosen by my people. If you equate it to castrating animals, its also the easiest, most efficient, and least likely to kill somebody in the process, which they would want to avoid at all costs as well.

My dilemma now is how much of this information do I include in my story. I've read lots of romance novels where the author does everything possible to disguise the facts of life with fancy prose or pretty imagery, but I don't want to have to decipher what an author means, I want them to give it to me straight, and doesn't sacrifice my tender sensibilities. I will admit, even I have been shocked by some of what I've read when an author has obliged, so I want to be somewhat delicate or too many people will just stop reading right then and there. It also makes it harder to fit into a genre and get published. After all, the idea is to keep people reading, buy your stories, and make money. Publishers can't do this if you are making people sick to their stomachs.

What I am thinking of doing is making my characters have a discussion about these details, get it out there to let people know exactly why Malik-Tor is in such a panic... I mean, wouldn't you be????? Keep it short, simple, and to the point, and then not dwell on it. This suits Syndra-Kai's personality quite well, she's like me in that way, don't beat around the bush, just tell me how it is already. Being a Princess, this is not likely how she would be treated, but she is tutored by her mother's Companion, Xan-Rul, who has undergone this procedure, and he won't lie to her.

So there you have it. Do you think it wise to include a discussion like this into the story? I think it's important to give a sense of urgency early on that this is really not a good situation Malik-Tor finds himself in, and he will do anything, agree to anything, to get out of it. Syndra-Kai has literally got him "by the balls". OMG, bad pun, but I'm sorry, THAT is funny...

Chapter and Story Length...

Ok, so I'm well and into my story, past what I thought would be a good break for the first chapter. Then I start looking at my word count. I'm at 1,750 for the first chapter. Sounds like a decent start, but its only like 4 pages long. So that doesn't feel quite right to me and I do a little digging to see what publishers look for in manuscripts.

I found this site to be a great resource (http://www.charlottedillon.com/WritingRomance.html).
Don't be put off because it says "Romance", even if you don't write romance, there are alot of general tips and tricks that come for readers of all sorts.

Things to remember if you plan on submitting a manuscript:
(check out the "Writing How To" Link, and then "Manuscript Preparation")

1. Standard manuscript format is in 12 pt. Courier Font, 10 words per line, 25 lines per page.
- Word can be set up this way by giving yourself 1" margins all the way around, and instead of just double-spacing, you can set it to either 1.5 or "Exactly" and type 25 pt. in "Paragraph" options. I have numbered my lines as well just to make sure I'm where I need to be.
(So this right there doubles my page count, right? ok, so now I'm up to 8 pages.)

2. Start each chapter with a chapter heading about halfway down the page. (9 pages now)

3. At this point, it is important to remember that an editor will count each page as 250 words, whether the page is full or not. This probably bumps up actual word count in many cases. (This makes 1750 look like 2250).

4. Guidelines for various publishing houses vary, so it is important you're targeting the right kind or you just end up on the "slush pile", so make sure you check that your story is compatible and marketed in the right places. (My particular genre for this story is falling under "Fantasy Romance", and even within this there are variations. I am aiming for a pretty good sized novel, so I am aiming for 75,000 words, which seems to be about mid-line. Great, only 72,250 more to go!)

5. Chapter length can vary, but for a decent sized novel (100,000 words), average chapters break around 15 pages. (Uh oh... Some more quick math says that if my average chapter is the same size as what I have now, I will need 33 chapters. I have a basic outline of the action I foresee for my characters, and I am only getting to 24 chapters, plus a Prologue and an Epilogue, could it be I don't have enough material????)

Ok, so I'm not super stressing, because right now, the point of my writing is just to get it out there... I know very well that with my fellow blogger's help and my own critical eye, I will be hacking and slashing, adding and embellishing, and my story will be fully fleshed, but just for safety's sake, for now, I am combining what I feel should be Chapter Two into One. This isn't too bad of a stretch, it's really just a change of POV (point of view), so now I think I can establish a pattern. If each chapter spends some time with each main character, (for the most part) it approximately doubles the chapter length.
Following this plan so far, I am now at a first chapter length I am somewhat happy with, 14 pages, with Word's count falling at 3,540, an editor's count would be 3,500. All the same, I think it still needs some work. Please don't think by any means anything I post is considered a final draft, it's posted to gather opinions on what should be added, changed, or just plain trashed. I am ok if you are brutal!

So there are my views on chapter length, in your own writing, feel free to make things as long or short as they need to be to make you happy. Chapters have a way of ending themselves, usually on some cliffhanger or change in time and/or place.

Names again...

I hate coming up with names. It is so important to a story, both for characterization, as well as flow.

This trouble I have even extends into my personal life, as I agonized over the names I gave my children. My youngest's name was even left so much to the last minute that we had to poll the nurses to see which name they liked the best.

So I have agonized over my main character's names for Empress, as well as the name of her country, city, etc. I think I am happy with her name as Syndra-Kai, but if you have suggestions, please feel free! Right now, I have my hero's name as Malik-Tobar (after much consulting of the baby name book mind you). Once upon a time it was Vin-Malik (the Malik part seems to be sticking with him), but I already have a character in another book named Vincent, and he's stuck with that. So maybe a little help here too? Any ideas? Well, maybe you need to get to know him more... I think I want to stick with hyphenated names for people, but of course those can always be shortened to nicknames...

As for place names, I think I have settled on the country, as well as the head state, being called Lunatia, and the capital Lunatium. Very Latinesque, so not so far removed from reality that a person can't identify with this place. Here are the rest of the "states" and their capitals...

Cathantias, Cathannum
Peranthias, Peranthium
Engana, Engannum
Arcuatia, Arcuatium

(credit here to the place name generator found at: http://nine.frenchboys.net/country.php for inspiration)

Of course, I still need a name for the mountains, any rivers, the oceans, and the other main continent that surrounds Lunatia (see previous post), but its a start

Do you have an artistic side?

Allrighty, so EMPRESS it is... I have lots of ideas for this story that I am ready to get crackin on, but first I wanted to ask if you all might want to help out!?

Do you have any skill at drawing, or perhaps computer design, something like that? In every just about every fantasy novel (like Empress) set in a land you are unfamiliar with, and where the main characters go on a journey around that land, there is usually a map to reference, somewhere on the inside cover or in the first few pages. I would like to incorporate that sort of thing with this story, but my art skills are rather lacking.

If you would like to help, just email me @ cmcarr12@gmail.com, and we can commiserate about details, and you can get an opportunity to be part of my project! Rest assured you would receive credit! If you would like to make a preliminary drawing or would just like some more information about the land in question, here are some basic details, things that HAVE to be incorporated into the map to correspond to the story.

The Empire of the Silver Crescent is a large continent/island sandwiched between a larger landmass on this particular "planet". Long ago, fissures around this continent separated it from the rest of the land (think Pangaea), resulting in a crescent shaped country. Silver in this world is the most precious metal, and aside from small deposits in the rest of the land, all of the silver is concentrated in the mountains that bisect the country. Hence the name of the empire, and the reason it is so rich!
The main city where the empress resides lies in the center of the inner curve of the crescent, and the large gulf is protected by barrier islands at its opening. There are cities at either tip of the crescent as well. The mountains lie to the west of the city, about 3 days ride. There is only one mountain pass, accessible only for about 2 months in summer, and there is a large desert immediately on the other side that runs to the coast. A number of oases dot the desert. To the north, there is a large chain of lakes, to the south there is a thick and very nearly impenetrable forest. Caravans traverse the countryside, traveling from town to town, trading goods and providing entertainment. (These are the gypsies of this land, of course.)
The land is divided into 5 "states", each with a capital, and there are roads that lead from each of these cities to the main capital. The rest of the land is mainly rural countryside, filled with farms, streams, small ponds and such.

Character Development - Empress

Heroine: Princess Syndra-Kai (up for debate), age 15 (16th birthday looming)

-Job: Heiress- Syndra will assume the throne shortly upon her 16th birthday, but first she has to follow all the royal ceremonies and protocols.
-Appearance: It is against the law for any but her closest attendants to look upon the face of the princess until she is either married or assumes the throne at age 16. However, Syndra is about 5’4”, with black hair and violet eyes, and olive toned skin. She is very slender and still quite childlike in build, although she is strong and has the promise of curves to come. Her hair must be styled in Royal fashion, long and in a high ponytail upon her head, decorated with a silver circlet and other adornments throughout. Also, her right nostril is pierced with a silver ring. Her clothing is flowing and tent-like until she comes of age, when she may wear more form-fitting pieces. She wears bracelets and rings of silver, with silver armbands as well. (In this world, silver is more precious than gold, and is the main commodity traded by her country, accounting for its great wealth. Gold is worn by the middle class, and copper by the commoners.)
-Intellect – Syndra has been fully educated in all the history, culture, politics, etc. that she will need to run her country. She chafes at this training, wanting to bring in advisors and minds from around the world and begin modernizing her country, to bring it out of the “Old Age”. She is still very young and inexperienced to fully understand much of what she is taught, so she relies on her father and her tutor for now. Because she is not of age yet, no one really listens to her opinion on things, except her tutor, whom she often practices debate with.
-Family: Only father still living, her mother having passed away in childbirth when she was young. The child was lost as well. Her father has been relatively distant since the loss of her mother, though he is loving and kindly towards her. Syndra has cousins, the daughters of her mother’s sister, who would happily inherit the throne in Syndra’s place should anything unfortunate happen to her.
-History: Syndra has been in training all of her life to become Empress one day. Sheltered from the outside world, she has had lessons detailing the history, laws and foreign policies of her government. What concerns her most at present is one of the traditions she wants to change as Empress. Every girl in the Royal Family has followed it without question until Syndra. The custom is that on her sixteenth birthday, she must choose a man among the common people to take her virginity. Any single man in the city at the time of her birthday between the ages of 18 and 25 is eligible and is required to report to the palace one week before the princess’ birthday. The walled city is closed and heavily guarded during this time so no one may leave. This has never really been a problem, as it is considered a great honor; even though once the deed is accomplished the man will be castrated and will serve as the Empress’ companion for life. No man other than her husband is permitted to lay with the Empress after that, and no one other than the Empress may lay with her servant. His status as a common man prevents her from marrying him, so he is castrated to prevent another woman taking her place. The custom is intended to signify the Empress’ closeness and love for the common people and it dates back centuries. The man who was her mother’s companion is now Syndra’s tutor and confidante. Over the years, he has become more learned and no longer believes in the need for the custom, though he does not regret his part and the love he shared with Syndra’s mother. He has taken it as his duty to enlighten Syndra and keeps her informed of the customs and knowledge of more modern countries. It is because of him that Syndra is inspired to bring modern technology and ways to her country, inviting in the outside world. She also is aware that in order to do this, she must sacrifice her virginity and some poor man’s manhood to accomplish her goals.
-Aspirations: To enlighten her country, educate the people, and equalize the balance of power, giving everyone a say in the government, though the Empress still retains ultimate authority.
-Attitudes: Though Syndra has lofty goals, she is still a relative child, as well as a sheltered princess. She unconsciously expects people to succumb to her every demand without question, and no one has ever defied her. However, she is sensitive to others and does her best to be thoughtful and kind.
-Perceptions: Syndra is completely unknown outside the palace walls, so rumors about her abound. It is generally agreed that she is likely a spoiled brat, who has no active interest in changing the status quo. Of course, the opposite it is true, but it is really only her tutor that is close enough to know any different.
-Hobbies: Syndra is not really permitted hobbies, since most of her time is taken up with lessons or meetings with her father and the country’s advisors. She does enjoy the garden and reading, especially the works of noted traveler/adventurer Malik-Tobar.
-Goals: Once she gets past her birthday and assumes the throne, Syndra plans to travel her country and begin to make repeals of antiquated laws and customs.

Hero: Malik-Tobar, age 25 (If anyone has read “The Duchess” by Jude Deveraux, Trevelyan is the inspiration for this character, though Malik is a bit meaner and more serious than Vellie.)

-Job: Professional Traveler/Adventurer/Writer – has spent the last 10 years traveling the world and the interior of his country and writing about it. He has since retired due to the death of his father, and has come home with the intent on helping his family by working within the government to bring about reform.
-Appearance: About 6’0”, black hair and golden yellow eyes. Deeply tanned skin, with a lean and athletic build. Has some interesting scars and tattoos from his travels.
-Intellect: Extremely intelligent. His travels have exposed him to many kinds of technology, languages and other types of knowledge from the outside world. He feels this gives him the right credibility to be an advisor to the palace.
-Family: Oldest son of the family, with a younger brother and sister, both married with children. Father recently deceased, and siblings sharing care of mother.
-History: When Malik turned 15, he left home as a sailor in order to help support his family. His encounters throughout the world and his writings have generated enough income to keep them comfortable. He has become quite famous. Recently receiving word that his father has died, Malik has returned home to begin a career in government. However, he arrived a little ahead of schedule, intending to miss the Empress’ birthday and coronation. He got the date wrong and is currently trapped in the city for the Choosing. He is considered a member of the common class and as such is required at the palace since he is still just 25.
-Aspirations: Now that he is home, it is Malik’s intention to become involved in government and to petition the young Empress on behalf of her people, to modernize the country and begin major reforms of its antiquated ways. He has seen too many poor, diseased and uneducated people to sit back and do nothing.
-Attitudes: Having seen so many things, both wonderful and horrifying, Malik is motivated to better his country. He has no real personal ambitions beyond caring for his family. This includes the need to take a wife, with his brother to carry on the family name and doing fairly well. He is well skilled in the ways of women, and only feels the need to use them for pleasure; though he does enjoy the rare circumstance a woman displays intelligence and a quick wit. He is a great public speaker, and has an animal magnetism and compelling manner that draws people in and makes them listen to what he has to say.
-Perceptions: Women throw themselves at him, and men admire his intellect and respect his opinion. Being rather famous, he is sought out, but he has no particular friends, and is a mystery as a person.
-Hobbies: Learning. Malik has indulged his thirst for knowledge and now desires to turn it into something useful. He feels confined by the city, but feels it is his duty to work for the betterment of his country.Goals: At the moment, it is finding a way to avoid appearing for the Choosing, as he feels it is an antiquated custom and entirely unnecessary, not to mention barbaric. Beyond that, gaining a position of influence within the government to push for reform.