Quest+stories

=//Here are some story starters for Quest stories.//= =//We will not start these stories until we have fully fleshed out our world and our characters, but this is some food for thought.//=

__ Adventures and Epic Journeys __

 * Stories in this category will require each writer to tell a successive chapter in a quest. Every writer will be using the same main characters, but detailing a different stage of their journey. This will, of course, require careful planning and editing to ensure the story feels "seamless" despite the many pens that have crafted it**

The Trail of Doors
Something of great value has been stolen. To make matters worse, the thief has managed to unlock a secret method of magic travel, the Trail of Doors, and is making his escape down this unknown path. The heroes follow the thief, but each door they enter is one-way—and there is no way of knowing where they will arrive when they step through each door.

Dark Tower Rising
Inexplicably, a dark tower thought to have only existed in tales has appeared in the heart of civilization. The tales speak of it as a beacon of evil. A band of heroes has been gathered, and together they enter the black door, with no knowledge of what lies ahead.

Over their Heads
The most successful thieves guild in the kingdom has recently acquired a shadowy benefactor. He’s given them some wonderful gifts, but now he asks a favor in return: steal something called the “Fallen Star” from the most heavily defended citadel in the kingdom—and once they get it, the “Star” is not a jewel at all.

__Dark Tales__

 * These hooks feature one of the most-used conventions of fantasy and science fiction: the dystopian world. These may be more open-ended than the "journey" tales described above, or they might be a chronological series of chapters where the heroes try to overcome the darkness that is covering their world.**

Cataclysm
Use and abuse of magic is destroying the world. Spells draw on the natural world for their power, so taking too much causes the landscape to be twisted and broken. The wizards with power to turn the tide fear that their next spell might shatter the world forever, while others, heedless of the danger, refuse to change their magical ways and threaten the destruction of all.

Necroscape
Few humans survive. Living humans, that is. A necromancer with power beyond power has enslaved much of the world as undead in his service. Those living who have escaped the necromancer thus far are forced to live in hiding, in constant fear they will be discovered and slain—and, worse, revived to serve the necromancer.

The Waste Below
Decades ago, corrupt mages waged a horrific war that devastated world’s surface. To escape the conflict, some escaped to the skies on airships, made possible by a few good wizards who gave their lives to cast powerful spells. Now, though, those spells have started to fade, and the refugees know that they must return soon return to the surface and face whatever horrors might lie beneath the smoky mists which have churned below them for so long.

__Character-Driven Storylines__

 * With these hooks each writer focuses on a different character that is part of the overarching story. Each tale will be connected to the others, but in thematic, not chronological, fashion.**

Called
In a dream, a powerful wizard has sent messages to several men and women from throughout the lands. All answer the call, and make the difficult journey to the wizard’s stronghold. But what they find there is not what they expected, and the wizard’s motives for bringing them together remain shrouded in mystery.

The Line of Kings
Generations ago, the rulers of the kingdom were ousted in a bloody coup. Only one member of the royal line survived. Each successive story in this collection will tell how the next generation survived through the ages, until in this current generation, the prospects of regaining their throne have finally returned.

Sacrifices
It is a world dominated by a foul beast who rules through fear and destruction. The only thing that prevents the beast from ruining civilization is an ancient ritual, wherein each nation under the beast’s sway sends one of its young citizens to his lair as a living sacrifice. These stories will detail each “sacrifice’s” journey to their doom.

__Open-Ended Storylines__

 * These "frame story" concepts provide the most free reign to creators. In essence, these would provide a series of different, non-sequential tales loosely connected by the frame story. Creators are able to tell unique tales from a common setting, but are unencumbered by an overarching plot.**

The Lucky Bard
Bards travel from town to town, entertaining the locals in each new stop with tales of the adventures they've seen and songs of the days of old. These traveling minstrels love to collect stories as they wander to add to their repertoire for future performances. For one bard, however, amazing stories seem to find him. No matter where he travels, amazing stories just. . . //happen//. Is the bard just lucky? Or is he helping his luck a bit when it comes to finding a new tale?