KHI FABLES - A Project for the Creative Corner

[Ordeith]

|Art Discussion/Submission | RP Sign-Up Thread | Roleplay Thread |
Once upon a time, people were truer to their hearts, and their hearts spoke truth in turn.

The world was a truer place then, and men could find happiness in simple things. Every young princeling dreamed of rescuing some maid—and while his mind was conflicted, his heart spoke truly. Every princess was born with a seed of virtue inside, which bloomed when she listened to her heart. Even the little frogs—with their little frog hearts—had kingly spirits, deep inside them.

We hear of these true-hearted people as Tom Thumbling, Snow White, the Frog Prince, and Sleeping Beauty . . . Indeed, they were real people, who lived and breathed as we do. Their stories are but diluted whispers of a whole person—their truest heart of hearts. By their fairy-tales, this part of them survives . . .

So long as their happy endings remain intact, their hearts can speak truths to us.

But most are not so fortunate. Many stories remain untold.
The hearts of these forgotten people lie silent, deprived of the happy endings they so deserve.

So, in response, I say . . .

Hearken to me, fellow storytellers! Make use of crafty wit and clever pen!
Listen to my call, ye thespians! Imbue these words with passion and depth!
Heed me, master artists! Through paint and pencil, immortalize the forgotten!
Lords and ladies of song! Compose an elegy to span the breadth of ages!

A new book of tales is about to be written.

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This is my typically long-winded way of introducing a new project—something that I hope will spark activity and cooperation throughout the Creative Corner sections. I'd like to embark on something that will incorporate all the talents that KHInsider has to offer, giving everyone a chance to contribute towards a single, massive whole.

I don't know whether this will be a loose anthology, or a single, complete product—but we'll make it using our combined talents. The central theme will be something to which most of us can relate, Disney Fairy Tales.

MORE BELOW​

 

[Ordeith]

1. To begin, I'd like to create an illustrated roleplay, like a storybook.
(Parts 1 & 2 of this "anthology")

Roleplayers will first apply through a sort of audition process, in which they submit a fairy-tale "template" describing their character's appearance and origins. Each audition must have a corresponding archetype—that is, a traditional role in fairy-tales and literature. The roleplay will develop these archetypes into realistic, complex characters—who have merely been diluted over time.

Spoiler Show

The "Other": In every classic tale, one character finds that they do not belong. They are strange, or misunderstood, or may have been cursed—but they exist apart from the rest of the world. These characters are shunned, and their suffering has made them who they are.

Some examples of this archetype: Gollum, from The Lord of the Rings; The Beast, from Beauty & the Beast; the Creature, from Frankenstein; Caliban, from The Tempest

Spoiler Show

The Tale of the Black Knight:

Once upon a time, an ancient kingdom was protected by a hall of valiant knights.

These knights had been gifted with blessed weapons, which would never dull—and magical armor, which would deliver them from harm. The queen of this land was a powerful enchantress, and had given these gifts to her knights, in exchange for their fealty. Each of these gentleman was known for his goodness and bravery, but one knight outshone them all:

The Silver Knight, he was called. His armor gleamed like a beautiful mirror, so that he appeared like a dazzling white figure upon the battlefield. No one could best him in combat, for he carried the full blessing of the queen. The Silver Knight's lance always struck true, and his sword never wavered—so great was the kingdom's love for him.

His soul belonged to his country, while his heart belonged to the fair maiden whom he had wed. Whenever he returned home from a long journey, the Silver Knight would present the spoils of battle to the queen—then rush to visit his pretty, young wife. The lady was very much in love with her husband, and blushed like a rose to see him. But the Silver Knight was too often called away to fight for his kingdom, and his lady longed for his presence in the while.

One day, the Silver Knight was called away to a distant land. The kingdom was at war with an empire across the sea, and the queen sent half of her knights to give aid.

In the distant empire, the Silver Knight fought with his usual strength and courage, defeating the wicked armies of the enemy. When the kingdom's army could fight no more, the queen's knights bravely stormed the emperor's palace, and slew all within. Only the foreign princess was spared, for her apparent beauty and good heart. The knights, kind and courteous gentlemen all, agreed to take her with them, to live with the queen.

When the Silver Knight's eyes fell upon the princess, he was immediately smitten. A dark, exotic beauty, she welcomed his looks—for she did not know that he was married.

Breaking his oath—against the queen, against his wife, and against God—the Silver knight bedded the foreign princess, in an act of infidelity. On the voyage home, they would meet in secret aboard the ship—until one of the knights, in a fit of sleeplessness, discovered them. The Silver Knight pleaded with his friend to keep quiet, but he was bound by honor to tell the queen. When they arrived home, the Silver Knight received his punishment:

The queen, enraged at her knight's betrayal, cursed him with all her strength. He pleaded mercy, but to no avail. His brilliant armor was charred an ugly black, and his soul was bound to the metal—cursed to serve the kingdom until his wife forgave him. She never forgave him.

The lady died with a bitter heart, leaving the Black Knight to serve the throne forever. He became a phantom of dread on the battlefield, unable to be slain. The Black Knight's lance continued to strike true, and his sword never wavered—so great was the anger he bore. He fought until the kingdom fell into ruin, and the throne was no more. Then he wandered into the wilderness, and was not seen again.

In time, the Black Knight forgot the dead kingdom, and his fellow knights. He forgot his wife, his silver armor, or that he had ever once been a living man. He could no longer feel hot or cold, or any touch, smell, or taste. At times, with no memory to guide him, he would pause to wonder at himself: Why had he the shape of a man, when he could feel nothing? A suit of armor is meant to protect, so why was his armor empty? Was he the armor, or was he inside it, somehow?

With no way to break the curse, the Black Knight wandered aimlessly, slaying any man who dared take up arms against him. His blade left trails of black ash in their wounds, letting any who saw the bodies know that the Black Knight has claimed another victim. If only forgiveness could be brought to him; then, perhaps, the curse will be undone . . .

Each roleplayer have an illustrator partner—who will illustrate their character, key scenes, etc. Between them, posts will be a joint effort. Each artist can work with multiple roleplayers, and can independently propose concepts as well; they're certainly not going to be RP lackeys. A separate "art pile" thread will be filled with concept art that yet lacks a purpose/character.

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2. A team of writers will then condense the narrative into stories/chapters, and homogenize the style. (Part 3)

This part will be a meticulous labor of love, in which the roleplaying cast must work hand-in-hand with the writing committee—to create a simplified companion work to the RP. These writers must also order the illustrations as they see fit, consulting the illustrators if something needs to be made/edited. The collection needs to be something that will impress visitors to the forums, and provide a fitting example of everyone's talents.

In addition to this compilation stage, writers can submit their own short works in the meantime. The greatest fun of creative writing is, well . . . to write creatively! I'd hate to limit our writing team to other people's work—because I'll be submitting a few other things, myself—so independent concepts are always welcome. These will break up the "main" story/stories provided by the roleplay.

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3. Throughout the making of the project, musically-inclined members can submit relevant pieces as well. (Part 4?)

This is, frankly, an afterthought. Musicians are a little rarer than artists or writers, so pieces can be submitted with no particular order.

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So, that is my wish for the Creative Corner. Would anybody be interested in this?
(PLEASE share this with the other sections.)

 

[Orion]

Sounds dope. I wouldn't mind putting forward a Daedalus-esque artefact-collector or -crafter. Maybe a wandering salesperson possessing weird items and gizmos no one ever seems fully able to utilize.

 

[Professor Ven]

I'm fanatically flabbergasted from this finangled flippant philandering here!


Don't mind if I have a taste of this delicious pie.

 

[OmniChaos]

Naturally, I'm in. After all, every fairy tail needs its villain.

 

[Solar]

^Excitement.

The unlikely hero is something I'd like to pitch; the exasperated everyman drawn into incredible circumstances with a logical mind and slightly cynical charm.

 

[Ordeith]

I've placed a wanted ad of sorts, in the Traditional Media section. In this beginning stage, the illustrators will be the most difficult recruits—so pester your artistically-inclined friends! If you yourself have talent in this area, I encourage you to exercise it!

Sounds dope. I wouldn't mind putting forward a Daedalus-esque artefact-collector or -crafter. Maybe a wandering salesperson possessing weird items and gizmos no one ever seems fully able to utilize.

I've always loved the "eclectic merchant" character.
You never disappoint, so I look forward to it.

I'm fanatically flabbergasted from this finangled flippant philandering here!

Don't mind if I have a taste of this delicious pie.

What a pleasantly promising pledge of perfect performance!

Naturally, I'm in. After all, every fairy tail needs its villain.

Vague BBC reference...

The unlikely hero is something I'd like to pitch; the exasperated everyman drawn into incredible circumstances with a logical mind and slightly cynical charm.

Welcome aboard, Tom Tailor! Your character type is essential to any good fairy-tale.

 

[Kazem]

Would a little humorous character be welcomed here, mainly in the form of a jester or such? One who moves his body to accompany his speech, tiny jungles emphasizing the hints and tales he tells.

To simply entertain!, would be his wish, and a chuckle and laugh is all he would want on his beggar-dish. He'd talk sometimes in rhymes, and else in riddle, to give a hero (or villain) a means to meet in the middle. He sides with none, yet doesn't deny help, but still some hate him, cutting his head off after his yelp. He's a bit new to this profession, mind you, so take a second before slicing him in two. His bows are deep, and his prices none too steep, for these actions are for free, as long as you don't fall asleep, because his sayings are once and once only, so if you miss one, you might not soon finish the story. He adds some humor, and is meant to be laughed at, and definitely isn't the one who is really a broom-wielding old bat. His comes in many a color, size and shape, but his methods stay true, no matter how many talks you may tape. Not a main part by far, oh no, just another piece for the big puzzle, only for show.

Course, there are nights when his laugh darkens, his smile ever bigger, and his advice turns false and quite bitter. Sometimes behind his back, he holds a dagger, which might be placed into you, making you stagger, for he offers a game of chance instead of laughs, and the your choices (if poor) will make the rewards your last. He can harm in the same sentence as help, and gives the story a potential twist, showing himself to any lost within his unique mist.

So it is up to you to take this troublesome jester, for he can really, really pester, his rhymes without rhythm and his voice jokingly all-knowing, but might make any tale quite a special showing.

Sadly, he might not show up for quite a time due to my little rush of family vacations for the first three-or-so weeks, starting tomorrow. But, if it is not too late by then, I would gladly contribute to this wonderful-sounding project, if you choose to accept this, admittedly, "odd" character

 

[Ordeith]

Haha, I certainly appreciate the rhymes and the wordplay, Kazem, but this thread is mostly for discussion/planning. I'll have a proper sign-up thread once enough support is gathered.

 

[OmniChaos]

I've already got the pieces of my character coming together in my head. Already have his title(s) planned out too:

The Stolen Thief / The Fell King

I'll leave you with this and let your imaginations take over.

 

[Athel]

I'm incredibly excited to see this with a kind of "official" beginning, though it seems more like an announcement. I'm most interested in contributing as a writer or artist for the first portion of the project.

 

[Ordeith]

A question for those involved: Should I post the sign-up thread soon, then approach artists to see whether they're willing to illustrate some of these characters? Or should I gather definite pledges from artists before we begin?

The former approach would guarantee the roleplay as a "backup plan", should the entire project fail.
The latter approach, however, would perhaps give the project a stronger foundation.

Thoughts?


By the way, "The Stolen Thief" really arrests my attention as a title...

 

[Athel]

A question for those involved: Should I post the sign-up thread soon, then approach artists to see whether they're willing to illustrate some of these characters? Or should I gather definite pledges from artists before we begin?

The former approach would guarantee the roleplay as a "backup plan", should the entire project fail.
The latter approach, however, would perhaps give the project a stronger foundation.

Thoughts?

I personally would be more inclined to do the latter, but it's your call.

 

[Orion]

Since the artsy stuff is only going to happen after characters are made and scenes enacted, I'd say it's a good idea to do the latter and just consult them after things are underway.

 

[OmniChaos]

A question for those involved: Should I post the sign-up thread soon, then approach artists to see whether they're willing to illustrate some of these characters? Or should I gather definite pledges from artists before we begin?

Since the artsy stuff is only going to happen after characters are made and scenes enacted, I'd say it's a good idea to do the latter and just consult them after things are underway.

Then don't you mean the former?

 

[Professor Ven]

Then don't you mean the former?

Jezza's too busy living in the future to be bothered by our mud-hut ancient logics

 

[Orion]

Exactly right, Porfessor-chan.

 

[Ordeith]

Because I can't foresee much artistic interest right now, I'm probably going to post the sign-up thread soon.

Sigh...

My interest in the section as a whole is waning...

 

[OmniChaos]

You're giving up a tad easy, Joey. If they won't come to you, go to them.

 

[Professor Ven]

Because I can't foresee much artistic interest right now, I'm probably going to post the sign-up thread soon.

Sigh...

My interest in the section as a whole is waning...

We are compatriots in our noble quest dear friend, but if you quit now, I will leave you to be slain by the Giant Skeletons in the Tomb of the Giants.