Storytelling Time: Forces and Charges

 I am back with a new blogger post after finally figuring out some things I want to post. I thought about going deeper into the cast of Songs of Creation or The Vicious Planet but I was not ready to dive into those yet. I looked through my story folders and came across a more self contained idea I could do a single post on.

Today I present Forces & Charges, the story of two super scientists who were once best friends in college and find themselves working again years later. Here is the short pitch.

 Damon Force and Alan Charge were once college roommates who both appeared to be destined for great things.  Many years later Damon and his wife Samantha run a world renowned super science lab.  Meanwhile Alan is divorced and his lab is about to go bankrupt.  Damon reaches out to his old friend and offers him a position at his lab.  And so Alan finds himself moving into the Force laboratory compound with his two children.  Now he must deal with a new job, the two government assigned super powered bodyguards, his son's crush on his friend's daughter, and the fact that Damon may not have okayed Alan's new position with Samantha first.  And that's before we even get to the giant pet alligator.

With that out of the way, here is the cast. We will start with the Charge family.

 Instead of going into the super science business with his best friend, Alan chose to start his own lab after college. He got married and had two kids and did okay but never really made it big. It turned out his wife had a problem with that and chose to divorce him and abandon him and their children. After his wife took half of everything in the divorce his lab was forced to close. Damon heard about it and reached out to hid old friend with a job offer.

 Bryce Charge is the son of Alan Charge and older of the Charge siblings. Bryce is your average teenage boy and has so far not inherited his father's super science intellect. Bryce just wants to survive his parents divorce and the transition to living on the Force lad compound grounds. It is all very stressful but he finds a bright side to it all when he meets the Force's daughter Amanda.

 Cindy Charge is the daughter of Alan Charge and the younger Charge sibling. It was hard enough having one teenager but Cindy has only been one for a short time and so far has not been as moody as her brother. Cindy has tried to maintain some youthful optimism in the face of her parents divorce and moving to the Force lab compound. That optimism is looking to pay off in the form of a group of new female role models she had met since arriving that includes Dr. Samantha Force herself, her daughter Amanda, and their super ninja bodyguard Mei Sting.

That is the Charge family, now lets meet the Forces.

 

 Damon had all kinds of dreams in college about what he would do once he had his own super science lab and he seems to have fulfilled them all, plus he has a beautiful wife and daughter. But Damon has always regretted leaving his best friend Alan behind. When he heard about the closing of the Charge lab he was quick to reach out and offer Alan a position. It was only after that he realized he should have asked his wife about it first. But now Alan and Damon are reunited and working together again, maybe they can make a few more dreams come true.

 Samantha met Damon shortly after college and decided to marry him. She had her own plans to be a super scientist and found she was not opposed to doing alongside a husband. Together they have built up the Force lab into the renowned institution it is today. They even had a baby along the way. Samantha is aware of Damon's regrets about Alan, but she would have preferred he consult with her before taking him on at their lab. She is doing her best to roll with it but she had concerns about suddenly having a teenage boy the same age as her daughter living there.

 Amanda Force is a beautiful teenage girl and she is well aware of it. In fact to her beauty itself is a science. Unlike the Charge siblings, Amanda has inherited the intellectual gifts of her parents that would allow her to flourish in the super science field. So far she has used that intellect to cultivate an attractive appearance and a significant social media following. But it has not helped her fit in with normal people and make friends so she is actually looking forward to having some other people her own age at the Force lab. She quickly welcomes Cindy as the little sister she always wanted but never had and while Bryce is not her usual type she supposes she can get to know him.

Technically there is one more member of the Force family.

 This is just a stock image on an American alligator but it represents the Force lab family pet. A few years ago the Force lab was experimenting with ancient reptile DNA and accidentally created a giant prehistoric alligator with the intelligence of a modern day dog. Amanda was a small child at the time and would not let them do away with what she decided was her beloved new pet. She simply named him Alligator. A large portion of the Force lab is a dedicated habitat for Alligator. He has grown to quite monstrous proportions but remains as friendly and loyal as a golden retriever.

 Now that the core Force and Charge families have been introduced there are two characters left. This story takes place in a world with lots of crazy super science and occasional people with super powers and super villains. Super science labs are not just any old business and often need special protection. That protection often comes in the form of government assigned superhuman bodyguards.

 Bruno Brick has incredible strength and he is nearly invulnerable. He tried the superhero life when he was younger but found more stability being a bodyguard. His job for the last few years has been head of security for the the Force super science lab. He enjoys working for Damon and Samantha but he is a bit perturbed they brought in a new guy and his kids without consulting him first. While Alan Charge and his kids hardly seem like a security risk, Bruno prefers not to have wildcards thrown into the mix. He is doing his best to adjust security protocols to accommodate the new house guests.

 

Mei Sting is a super ninja. Its like being a regular ninja but you often fight super villains and wear more colorful outfits. Samantha hired Mei a few years ago. It is not that she doesn't trust Bruno but she wanted a different perspective around the Force lab. Mei Sting has settled into her role working alongside Bruno Brick to keep everyone safe. She had even forged a bit of a big sister relationship with Amanda. She was surprised when the Charges came to the lab compound but she can adjust and add them to the list of people to protect.

And that is the main cast of Forces & Charges, a story idea I came up with years ago that I recently revisited. As usual these collages were made with a mix of images from heromachine.com, heroforge.com, assorted dress up games, and a few AI generated images. Except the stock image I used for Alligator, that is just a stock image.

 And here is an image I cut and pasted together of all of them together.

 And here is what is looks like after I ran it through an AI image enhancer.

Storytelling Time: The House of Draeden

 Today I would like to talk about another old story idea, The House of Draeden. You might remember that name from my Ballad of the Dreadwalker post. The main character of that story is Seamus of the House of Draeden after all.

In my original planned God Factor timeline, House of Draeden was going to be a sequel to The Four Orphans and bridge that story into the Dreadwalker fantasy cowboy era. I am now separating all of these stories from The God Factor timeline so they each will likely take place in different worlds.

While the Ballad of the Dreadwalker is moving into the Twisted Westerns anthology series, Four Orphans and House of Draeden could still take place in the same world, but no longer be so directly connected.

At any rate I think I am going to have to come up with a new title for this story besides House of Draeden, but I do plan to keep the main character's name.

collage contains art done for me by Adiaz-Airtif and Sonten from deviantArt

 Draeden is a young warrior. Originally he as going to be the son or grandson of Aurin from The Four Orphans. I have thrown out that origin for something different. His grandparents were indeed famous great heroes, but his father did not follow in their footsteps and chose to live a simple life. However that did not save his family from becoming victims of a great and terrible war. Draeden's parents were killed and he was raised by his grandparents. He decided he wanted to live up to the heroic legacy of his family. The story begins when Draeden has just finished his hero training and is ready to begin his journey, even though he is living in an age of peace. That age of peace is about to have a wrench thrown into it but we can talk about that some other time.

collage contains art done for me by Adiaz-Airtif and Sonten from deviantArt

 Malik is Draeden's best friend. The boys have been friends since they were kids, Malik's parents fought alongside Draeden's great uncle. They trained together at the hero academy and have now graduated and are ready to take on the world side by side. Malik is definitely a character I need to work on more so he is not just the main character's best friend.

collage contains art done for me by Adiaz-Airtif and Sonten from deviantArt

 Roma is Draeden's other best friend. They met her at the hero academy and she turned out to be the missing piece needed to form their heroic trio. Roma was orphaned by the great terrible war and even had to take care of her younger sister Miri, we'll get to her. Before you even ask I do not plan for their to be any romantic tension within the trio. Men and women are capable of being friends and that is all the three will be.

 As I said before, this was originally planned to be a sequel to The Four Orphans and several of them would show up in the story but much older. Since I am disconnecting this from that I had to come up with a new supporting cast to fill in the various roles.

 Umara and Lemark are Dreaden's grandparents. They are both powerful magic users and the most famous and renowned of the heroes from the great terrible war. During those days they fell in love and had a son. Their son grew up during the days of the great terrible war but wanted no part of it. When he was old enough he chose to live in a community far away from the war where he found a wife and had a son. But that did not save him from the war. The enemy forces pushed deep past the front lines and destroyed everything in their path. Umara and Lemark were too late to save their son and his wife, but they were able to save Draeden. They raised him and encouraged him to follow his own path but he chose to follow the heroic family legacy that his father had denied.

 Josefin is Draeden's childhood best friend. She is the oldest daughter of a different family with a heroic legacy. Since she and Draeden have been reunited as adults she shows great interest in him. She always liked him and the idea of merging their two great heroic legacy families appeals to her and many others. Draeden cares about Josefin but he is far from ready to decide on any kind of future with her or anyone else.

 Miri is Roma's younger sister. When they lost their parents in the great terrible war, Roma protected Miri. When Roma enrolled in the hero academy, Miri was allowed to live nearby. As I came up with this character she became a vital part of the story. Miri is a seer and her visions foretell that something is coming. The period of peace that has followed the great terrible war is about to be threatened by forces from beyond the known world.

 

During their time at the hero academy, Draeden, Malik, and Roma were trained by some of the heroes of the great terrible war. Jaul, Talmar, and Sanka fought alongside Draeden's grandparents and his great uncle. Now they teach a new generation at the hero academy.

I am still developing these characters and I am playing with the idea that one of them might be one of Malik's parents but not necessarily the one you might think or maybe they are, I will figure it out later.

 Kondrad is Lemark's brother and Draeden's great uncle. He was disappointed when his nephew rejected the heroic legacy of their family and devastated when he learned of his death. This caused Kondrad to take drastic action and take up a cursed item. I am going back and forth on whether it was a weapon or suit or armor or what. The cursed item had been locked away but Kondrad took it up to avenge his nephew and in unleashing its power, he brought an end to the war. There was a price to pay afterwards. Now he lives with the curse the item left on him. He took it upon himself to personally oversee Draeden's hero training. He put a lot of pressure on his great nephew but the boy was always able to take it. Now that Draeden is an adult and beginning his own journey, Kondrad is not sure what to do with himself.

 

Veil is a woman who is not nearly as young as she looks. She was cursed to never die and has been looking for a way to break the curse for a very long time. She fought alongside the other heroes during the great terrible war. During that time she grew very close to Kondrad. As their relationship grew stronger, Veil could sense that this was the answer to her curse. It could finally be broken and she could live out a normal life span with the one she loved. But in the final days of the war Kondrad took up the curse item and it destroyed any hope of them having a future together. The curse inflicted upon Kondrad prevents him from ever being with Veil. Now her curse remains and she must continue on.

That was the main cast of the House of Draeden concept that needs a new name. For now I have been referring to it as the Draeden story until I come up with something. I certainly can't call The Heroic Trio.

 As usual all of the collages were made with a mix of images from heromachine, dress up games, AI generated images, and even a few pieces of actual art I have had done over the years. But I didn't have anything from heromachine this time, oh well.

The Four Orphans: Orion Karr

 My last post about the Four Orphans will focus on the story antagonist Orion Karr.

 When each of the orphans meets Orion Karr, he is a powerful sorcerer with dark forces at his command. He is searching for ancient artifacts of power that will allow him to control the future of the world. But long before that he was the prince of Lanaleas, a human nation in the East. He may have been a prince but his older sister was the heir to the throne. He left his home to travel the world and find his destiny. One of his journeys brought him to Master Chow and he became one of the martial arts master's best students. But Master Chow also saw a darkness growing in his student and sent him away. After years of searching he learned about the ancient legendary hero and the powerful artifacts he left behind. Now he seeks them out, not to rule any kingdom, but the whole world.

collage contains art by waterskies from deviantArt

 Nitiri is the Queen of Lanaleas and Orion Karr's older sister. The royal family of Lanaleas were the sort who saw each other as political rivals more than family. She knew her brother was jealous of her and considered it for the best when he went on his journey of self discovery. She spent years ruling over her land with prosperity. But when news reaches her of a dark sorcerer terrorizing different lands, followed by her long lost brother's name, Queen Nitiri will be forced to act.

 Zaak is a dark elf and Queen Nitiri's right hand man. He has known the queen and her brother since they were children. He once had hopes that Orion would grow up to be a useful asset to the queen. But like most he saw the young prince's departure as the best of a bad situation. But the news that Orion has become a dark sorcerer seeking world domination does not reflect well on the kingdom and the situation needs to be remedied.

And there is one more character from the Four Orphans that I forgot to include in the previous posts.

collage contains art by aeifs from deviantArt

 Darien Walker is a mysterious man whose name pops up more than once in the Four Orphans. We know that he is Michael's father. Most of the audience will easily be able to figure out that Darien Walker is in fact the father of all four of the orphans. When the Four Orphans meet and compare backstories they also figure out their connection through him. But this just raises more questions. Who was Darien Walker? Why did he travel to different lands fathering children and then disappearing? And most importantly, where is he now?

 And that concludes the set of posts about the main cast and supporting characters from The Four Orphans.

The Four Orphans: Michael's Group

 Today we look at the last of the Four Orphans and the characters closest to him.

 Michael's mother died giving birth to him and his father disappeared that same night. He was raised by his grandfather, the martial arts master Chow Wang Yun. Michael had grown to be one of the best students at the martial arts school and his only goal it to become a better and stronger warrior.

 In his youth Chow Wang Yun was a talented and respected adventurer. As he grew older he settled down and started a school for the martial arts to pass down his fighting style. He married and had a daughter. The night his daughter died his world feel apart but he found new purpose in raising his grandson. He sends Michael on a mission to retrieve an ancient sword from an old friend. While Michael is gone, the past comes back to haunt the old martial arts master.

art by setho chan, dodotu, alvaromero324 from deviantArt

 Shamita is Master Chow's other most talented student. Where Michael has always been most talented with the sword, Shamita is by far the most talented in the unarmed combat style of the Chow martial arts school. Shamita and Michael have had a friendly rivalry since they were children. She is sent with Michael on his mission to retrieve the sword.

 Barnabus is the keeper of the sword that Michael and Shamita are sent to retrieve. They are surprised to discover that he is a chimera. Barnabus chooses to return with Michael and Shamita and they discover that their home has been attacked by Orion Karr. Barnabus knows about the artifacts the dark sorcerer is looking for and warns Michael what must be done. They set out to reach the artifacts before Orion Karr like the others.

collage includes art by yureilia from deviantArt

 Before they begin their journey, Barnabus contacts a woman named Amara. She appears to be a dancer and entertainer. Amara is actually the inheritor of an ancient heroic legacy and one of her duties is to safeguard the artifacts that Orion Karr is looking for. Amara agrees to meet with Michael and his companions in order to help them stop Karr.

As usual these collages were made with a few art pieces done for me as well as images from heroforge, heromachine, dress up games, and a few AI generated images.

The Four Orphans: Emalia's Group

 Today we will take a closer look at the half elf princess Emalia of The Four Orphans.

 The elf king was very protective of his niece. Emalia never had to endure any verbal abuse related to her half human lineage but she was often excluded by members of the royal court and family. But Emalia never let any of that crush her spirit and grew up to be an optimistic and adventurous young woman.

collage contains art by lineith from deviantArt

 While she was growing up the only person closest to Emalia other than her uncle was her bodyguard Lenok. Lenok is a veteran soldier who served alongside the elf king back when he was still a prince. He saved her life in battle and she swore she would serve him for the rest of her life. When the time the king called on her to be his niece Emalia's protector. Lenok was never interested in having children but Emalia became a surrogate daughter that she would do anything for. Lenok is blind in her left eye due to a battle injury and has become adept at using it to intimidate her enemies.

I could not put a background image into this collage because Lenok's skin is so pale it blends in with the white background and any attempt to recolor it makes her skin look wrong.

collage contains art from deviantArt artist

 Garan is a young soldier from the human nation north of the elf kingdom. He was exiled for disobeying orders and ended up meeting Emalia by chance. She offered him refuge in the elf capital and he accepted, it is not everyday an elf princess offers to be your friend. Garan and Emalia have become close friends. She is always asking him about what life is like in lands outside the elf kingdom and Garan is happy to tell her what he knows. When Orion Karr attacks the elf kingdom no one is more shocked than Garan. Orion Karr was responsible for the incident that led to Garan's exile. But more than that Garan is sure that he saw Orion Karr die in that same incident. He has no idea how the sorcerer in black can still be alive.

collage contains art by heli horse from deviantArt

 After the attack on the elf kingdom, Emalia is eager to take up the quest to reach the legendary artifacts before Orion Karr. But in order to get them she and her companions must venture deep into uncharted territory. Luckily they find someone to guide them.

Rogis is a half dragon and something of a researcher studying, cataloging, and mapping the uncharted Wildlands.  His father was a green dragon, but his mother was a goblin, even he is not sure exactly how his parents union came to be. He has spent most of his life wandering the outer edges of the wildlands alone, never belonging anywhere. He agrees to help Emalia and the others make their way in hopes of furthering his research and making some friends.

art by zachula from deviantArt

 And finally here is a group piece done for me by zachula from deviantArt, thankfully some of the pieces in my art folder are properly labeled with the artist who did them.

As usual the collages contain art done for me by various artists when possible as well as bits from heromachine, heroforge, assorted dress up games, and AI generated images.

The Four Orphans: Aurin and Moug

 Today I am going to talk about more characters from The Four Orphans. This post will focus on two of the orphans, Aurin and Moug and their supporting characters on their part of the story.

 

Aurin and Moug meet each other early in the story and become friends. After Orion Karr attacks the Elemental Order of Wizards they flee together and begin the quest to find the artifacts of power.

 

collage includes pieces done for me by deviantArt artists

 Andira is a fairy that Aurin met when he was a child. She was his only real friend growing up. It was Andira who discovered Moug living in the hills near the Elemental Order Academy and introduced him to Aurin. Andira left the fairy realm looking for adventure and she was sure she would find with with Aurin one day and Moug's arrival only strengthened that resolve.

 Archmage Cristofol is the headmaster of the Elemental Order of Wizards Academy. He was Aurin's mentor and primary parental figure growing up. When Orion Karr attacks, Cristofol is badly injured and is not able to follow Aurin on his quest. For many years Cristofol guarded secrets about the legendary artifacts, he entrusts that information to Aurin as he sets out.

collage includes pieces done for me by deviantArt artists

 Not long after leaving the Elemental Order, Aurin and Moug come across a wizards monastery belonging to an order called the Puritas Album. The white wizards take them in and introduce them to Kayla, a young oracle in their care. Kayla uses her visions to direct them to where they can find an ally on their quest. Aurin is quickly enamored with Kayla. Andira is delighted by the potential romance. Moug however is more concerned about the motivations of the white wizards who he does not trust.

collage includes pieces done for me by deviantArt artists

 The party follows Kayla's visions and it does lead them to an ally, but not the sort they were expecting. Most adventurers are not interested in aiding a group that has no money to offer. The only one interested at all is an old drunk minotaur warrior named Stalivus. He has reached an age where he seeks a noble death and the quest Aurin and Moug are on sounds like a good way to find one.

 And I will finish off this post with an image of the group that was done for me by an artist on deviantArt. I looked into my files and it seems my old commission file record is missing. It must have been misplaced when I transferred files over to the new computer so it will take some time to find the names of some of the artists. These collages also include images I made on heromachine, heroforge, several dress up games, and a few AI generated images.

Storytelling Time: The Four Orphans

 

Just about every story idea I have ever had I can trace back to a specific genesis. I saw something very specific and it gave me an idea and that spiraled into a greater narrative. The Four Orphans is a fantasy story idea I came up with a very long time ago and it has hardly changed at all since then. But I can't seem to remember where it came from. When looking back at my life when this idea came to me I can't recall where this cast of characters came from.

Today I am just going to talk about The Four Orphans themselves as well as the main antagonist. Like many of my stories I incorporated this one into The God Factor timeline but with just a few small changes it could easily be a separate story from that. Lets meet the orphans.

 

Aurin, a young wizard of the elemental order.

Moug, a young half dragon living on his own.

Emalia, a half elf princess who longs to see the world.

Michael, a young warrior who only concerns himself with growing stronger.

 

Aurin was literally left on the doorstep of the elemental order of wizards academy.

He was raised there and soon proved to be a prodigy capable of wielding all the elements, making him a favored student of the faculty, but isolating him from his fellow students. The Archmage Cristofol became his mentor and primary father figure. His only friend growing up was a fairy named Andira. I will introduce you to them in the next post. Aurin has spent his life wondering where he came from and why he was left with the elemental wizards.

 

Like previous collages this one contains images I made in heromachine and heroforge. There is a piece that was done for me by an actual artist on deviantArt and I am embarrassed to admit I can't find the artist name right now but I know I have it written down somewhere in my records. I did not include many AI generated images because they seem to have a hard time making a young wizard instead of an old one.

 

 

Moug is the son of a female red dragon. He never met his father. He only knows his father was some kind of sorcerer powerful enough to shape shift into a dragon and court his mother. Shortly after Moug was born his mother began to suffer from a mysterious illness and his father disappeared. The dragon elders did what they could to ease her pain but they could never figure out a cure for the illness. The other dragons tolerated him but never fully accepted the boy who was clearly only half dragon. Eventually Moug's mother died and he chose to leave the red dragons mountain home to live on his own in the wild.

This collage has a few heroforge models and a few AI generated images. But the centerpiece art was done for me by Heli Horse from deviantArt. There is another piece of art done for me by an artist and I am once again embarrassed to admit that I don't have their name written down where I can find it.

 

 

Emalia is a princess, her mother was the elf king's sister. Her father was a human. It was considered a bit scandalous and made more so when her mother's human lover disappeared shortly after she found out she was pregnant. She kept the child and named her Emalia. When Emalia was still a small child her mother died in a horse riding accident. The king was grief stricken by the loss of his beloved sister and welcomed Emalia to the royal family where she was raised among her cousins and he would not tolerate any criticism of his nieces half human blood. Emalia had a good life and was even assigned her own royal bodyguard, a veteran warrior named Lenok. But her whole life no one would tell her anything about her human father, it was clear the king hated him whoever he was and would not even say his name. Emalia has grown up wondering about the other half of her lineage and the world outside the elf kingdom.

This collage has art pieces done for me by artists demoonial and lineith from deviantArt. It also has some images from a few different dress up games and some AI images.

 

 

Michael Wang Yun is the grandson of the great martial arts master Chow Wang Yun. His mother was Master Chow's only child and his father was a mysterious traveler named Darien Walker. Michael's birth was very difficult and his mother did not survive it. Darien Walker abandoned his newborn son that very night, never to be seen again. Chow raised his grandson in the ways of the warrior and the boy became his best student. Michael has had a peaceful life and focuses on his training always striving to become stronger.

I now have a nephew named Michael and I considered changing this character's name because I don't like to use the names of people I know for characters in stories. But I came up with this Michael long before I ever knew I would have a nephew so I have kept the name the same.

This collage is a mix of heroforge, heromachine, and AI images. It includes one piece of art done for me by an artist named Rebekah Spake from deviantArt.

 

 

Orion Karr is the main antagonist of The Four Orphans. He is a powerful sorcerer seeking a set of ancient artifacts that will give him the power to shape the fate of the world. His quest will lead him into direct conflict with each of the four orphans and force them to flee their homes in the hope that they can reach the artifacts before him.

Originally Orion Karr was going to looking for the artifacts of the Antalla, but if I am going to separate this tale from The God Factor timeline I can't use the Antalla lore. He can still be looking for the artifacts that once belonged to a legendary hero and are imbued with his power, but it can't be the Antalla.

This collage has heromachine and heroforge images and a few AI generated. There is one art piece in it done for me by and artist from deviantArt and once again I was sure I had the artists name in an easy to find place but now I can't find it after all. I am going to have to dig up those files.

 

 

There are several more characters who follow each of the Four Orphans on their journey as well as other supporting cast members I will show off in future blog posts.