Elly's Story (working title)
A work-in-progress fantasy novel by Hazel Nightengale.
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Synopsis
In the sleepy market village of Briarglen in western Edlynne, Elly Briar is the next in line to become the Esteemed Witch - a sort of local political leader and healer - after her grandfather, the last and longest-running Witch, suddenly retires. At eighteen, she will be the youngest Witch Briarglen has ever had, and although there is some controversy about another Briar being called to pledge, few can deny she has what it takes.
On her way to the Magical See of Edlynne City to make her pledge, her carriage is suddenly attacked by a glowing blue ball of light, and soon she meets Tansy Soltan, the Magical See’s defence advisor, who is tracking it and believes that Elly may be the one being tracked.
An investigation gets underway, and Elly and Tansy reach the Magical See. The next morning, as Elly stands before Seer Beatrice Edlynne to make her pledge, an explosion is heard just outside, setting intrigue into motion. Elly will use her own knowledge of soul magic and healing, as well as the aid of Tansy, Elly’s brother Morgan, her sort-of girlfriend Lora, and the mysterious and charismatic Willow to find out who is behind the seemingly random tracking and attacks.
Perhaps there is a deeper meaning, and perhaps getting to the bottom of it will address the systemic issues that plague much of Edlynne. . .
Characters
Age / Birthday
Elly Briar
Age 18 / September 8th
Elly is our protagonist and heroine. She was born Elysium Rowan Briar, but prefers Elly. While gifted, she is still trying to find her place in the world, and hopes becoming an Esteemed Witch and serving her community will give her a sense of purpose. She is resourceful, bookish, and smart, and although she is slow to open up to people, she is very steadfast in her morals and isn’t afraid to call people out on their own.
Morgan Briar
Age 16 / June 20th
Morgan is Elly’s younger brother. Uncharacteristically, the two siblings get along quite well, although they are not afraid to pull each other’s legs. Morgan inherited much of the Briar family’s magical attunement, although he prefers to use his skills for home tasks such as cooking and designing clothing.
Lora Lazenly
Age 19 / April 9th
Lora is a close friend and on-and-off partner of Elly -- although Elly would not describe it this way, being slightly more reserved than the openly affectionate Lora. Her parents own a general store in Briarglen, and she dabbles in the creation of soulstones.
Beatrice Edlynne, the Magical Seer
Age 18 / February 1st
Beatrice inherited the role of Seer from her father, Rixton Edlynne, just one year before the events of our story transpire. She takes her role well, and can be occasionally found to be idealistic, as becoming of her age. Regardless, she strongly believes that Edlynne could eradicate much of its systemic disparity very easily, a stark contrast to her father, who was more concerned with heightening up defence budgets. Coincidentally, Elly and Beatrice once crossed paths, having briefly attended the same primary school.
Tansy Boltan
Age 27 / December 31st
Tansy is the Defence Advisor of the Magical See of Edlynne, serving directly under Seer Beatrice. She began serving in this role at twenty-two after graduating from the Honorsguard Academy, initially under Seer Rixton. She is navigating how her role has changed since Seer Beatrice took up the throne, and reckoning with whether it is the best way of life for her.
Willow
Wouldn't you like to know / Unknown
The confidently flamboyant Willow is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Various rumours surround their existence; that they are endlessly wealthy, that they are a time-traveler, and that they are the original creator of soulstones. The truth is impossible to discern, but their aid will be invaluble to Elly as she solves the mysteries of the Magical See. Willow operates a healing shop in Vendra, the second city of Edlynne.
Potential things to add: drawn maps, character portraits, geography descriptions, excerpts
This page represents a work in progress. Names, titles, and story elements are subject to change.
This page was last updated on February 16, 2019.