The Prep Challenge: Beauty is Blind

DAY 1: PREMISE

Protagonist: Calista Rose Shepherd of Leander, Gaiane.
She is cursed with blindness because her mother fell in love with her father solely based on how he looked. She was cursed to be "blind to the beauty that snared her mother." Her mother Elani, and her twin, whom she calls Gabriel, both died in childbirth and her father, Flavian, isn't extremely fond of the child who "killed" his wife and only son. Elani's father, Quentyn Mercer, is a merchant (Flavian is a shepherd, Elani is his only child. He wasn't happy that she was marrying down) and dies when Calista is about 16 years old. Flavian inherits Quentyn's merchant business, and goes to port to check the investments. He asks his three daughters what they would like as a gift... Calista asks for a rose. You know how the story goes. Flavian gets driven to a castle by a snow storm in mid Coldwind (November-months have different names) and finds a rose. It's blue-Aurelia's favorite color, and is unlike any plant he's ever seen, something that green-thumbed Briony will love. And it's a rose, just as Calista asked for. After Flavian has been received and cared for by invisible servants and treated with hospitality, he takes the rose. This enrages the owner of the castle, Damien, who hides in the shadows and tells Flavian the price he must pay for the rose: send one of his daughters in his place, or come back to die. Calista, when hearing this, bravely volunteers to go to a huge, unfamiliar place. At this point, nobody knows that Damien is a beast, and when Damien discovers that Calista is blind, he intends to keep it that way. Until he tries to break the spell, it fails, and she discovers his true form.

He is cursed to remain a beast until he can learn to love another, and she love him in return, despite his appearance. Calista knows she's cursed, but doesn't know what with. She is cursed to be blind to the beauty that snared her mother until she can learn to love something despite its appearance. When she breaks Damien's curse, she unwittingly breaks her own. Because she is not naturally blind, she sees "life smudges"- little "floaties' or clouds of color, like you see after you look into the sun too long, whose colors correspond to a mood or feeling.

Theme
There's a motif or moral to this story about living in light and darkness-she lives in literal darkness, he lives in figurative darkness. Both must be overcome in order to live in the light.

DAY 2: OUTLINE #1

A girl cursed with blindness faces her fears to confront the darkness and a monster searches for light and love.

(This is harder to do than it looks)

I'm doing the Snowflake method.

DAY 3: DEMOGRAPHIC

My novel will appeal to:
gender: mostly girls, but boys could like it.
race: why does it matter? Any race. The story's about loving what's under the skin, not what the skin is. She learns to love a beast!
age: 15-20
disabilities: blind people, deformed people- they'll relate to my characters. Calista is blind, Damien's a beast
mobility: ?? Anyone who can hold a book.
home ownership: why does this matter? anyone.
employment status: anyone
education: junior high or higher
income level: any level high enough to be able to afford to buy a book. Or check one out from the library.
marital status: mostly singles, probably.
location: most likely Americans, because I'm American and the book's English. But I'm certainly not targeting it towards Americans. It takes place in Gaiane, which is a fictional land.

Explain in detail what aspects of your novel will appeal to this particular audience and why.
It's a retold fairy tale, so any fairy tale freak will like it. These are mostly girls in my experience. I haven't met many. Since it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the race of my reader doesn't matter. The story's about learning to love despite appearances. How much more skin issues can you have if you're covered in fur? It's a book for a more mature audience, as Damien is the bastard son of a king, and it's a more complicated book. It's aimed at junior highers at the youngest, but anyone older than 15 would like it. Employment status, income level, and home ownership doesn't matter really. As long as they can afford the book. Married couples would like it, but I think it's more of a love story. Someone searching for love might really like it, so that's why I said singles. It doesn't take place in a certain real country, so anyone could like it. Being from America, it's probably going to stay in the country, so it's aimed slightly towards them.

DAY 4: DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Characters

Draft a list of your characters and write a brief profile on each one (first and last name, age, occupation or relation to main character(s) and rough physical description.) Keep your list handy for future updates throughout the Prep.

Calista Rose Shepherd: my main character. She's 16-17 for the majority of the story. She's cursed with blindness, as marked by her violet eyes, and has curly shoulder length brown hair. Her responsibilities at home are weaving and knitting the yarn Briony spins.
Damien Lysander Sanglier: Son of King Haemon and Pandora. As a prince, he's called Lysander. His younger half-brother is Ignatius. As a human, he has orange-red hair and turquoise eyes. As a beast, he is covered in fur, still human shaped, has a mane, claws for hands, paws for feet, long hairy pointed wolf's ears and ox horns on top of his head. He's the other main character. He's 2 years older than Calista.
Aurelia Dawn Shepherd: Calista's oldest sister, five years older than Calista. She has sunny blonde hair and sky blue eyes. A little bit of a snob. She does the sewing and dying of the wool that the other sisters make.
Briony Sage Shepherd: Calista's other older sister, who is three years older. Briony has red hair and green eyes and is a little spitfire. She does the spinning and carding of the wool, and always stands up for Calista.
Elani Mercer Shepherd: The girls' mother, only child of Quentyn Mercer, a well-to-do merchant. She falls in love with Flavian, a lowly shepherd, because he is handsome. Her father does approve, so when Rhodes offers to help her change her father's mind. The price she pays is that one of her children will be "blind to the beauty that snared their mother." She dies in childbirth giving birth to Calista.
Flavian Shepherd: Calista's father. Is not terribly fond of Calista since she "killed" her mother and brother.
Gabriel Shepherd: Calista's stillborn twin brother. She is "blamed" for his death. Calista still talks to him.
Haemon, King of Sanglier: he's the king of Sanglier and Damien's father. He disowned his bastard son Damien when Ignatius was born. His wife had been barren for a long while before that.
Ignatius, Prince of Sanglier: Three years younger than his half brother Damien, but Damien is exiled to Leander as soon as Ignatius is born. Ignatius doesn't know about his half brother until his father is on his death bed.
Julian Miller: Aurelia's fiancee. Thinks it's a brilliant idea to kidnap Calista from Damien's castle. Yeah...
Kyrie: Melina and Natham's little daughter. Kind of a "chip" character.
Melina: Pandora and Damien's maidservant. Kyrie's mother and Natham's wife. Is too wrapped up in her love life to notice that Damien is going on a downward spiral that causes the curse.
Natham: Pandora and Damien's manservant. Husband of Melina, father of Kyrie. Their whole family is turned invisible due the curse.
Olympia, Queen of Sanglier: Haemon's wife, is infertile for a while. Mother of Ignatius.
Pandora: Servant of the king, mother of Damien, and the king's mistress.
Quentyn Mercer: Elani's wealthy merchant father.
Rhodes: the enchantress/enchanter character. Still don't know if Rhodes is a boy or a girl...but the machine behind the madness and the curses. Am considering giving Rhodes purple eyes...wondering if that would be too confusing.

DAY 5: PROTAGONIST PROFILE

(this took FOREVER!)

Some of the Basics First:
Full Name – Calista Rose Shepherd
Meaning of Name – Most Beautiful Rose
Nickname – Callie (she hates it, but Briony occasionally uses it); Rose (Damien's pet name for her)
Birth Date – Wintersong (December) 21, year of the Lion
Astrological Sign and Details –Sagittarius, like me. “Few people have such power of self-determination as a Sagittarius born on December 21. They can transform themselves from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. When an idea grabs them, they can make their dreams reality. They quickly spot intellectual dishonesty. These men and women subconsciously seek out friends who can give them validation. They seldom become romantically involved with someone who lacks the potential to be a friend. They place great importance on partnership in marriage. The relationships made in childhood affect lives of December 21 people forever. All the baggage that comes with a difficult childhood can weigh on their emotional health. Despite this, they are excellent parents who can transcend their negative experiences.
These individuals have the ability to reach the very top of their field once they learn to have confidence in their abilities. Enormously talented, they can nevertheless be hamstrung unless they appreciate their gifts. When they learn how not to be their own worst enemy, their goals are apt to materialize.”
Birth Place – her house
Age --16
Nationality – Leandan
Race – white
Hair Color --brown
Hair Style – curly, just past shoulder length. Usually braided by Aurelia in one braid so that it stays out of the way. Calista hates the braid.
Shape and Features of Face – a pleasant shape and features. Nothing obnoxiously ugly. Not that she'd know.
Glasses or Contacts – no.
Eye Color -- violet, due to the curse.
Skin Tone – pale
Disabilities – blind, cursed with it.
Build or Body Type -- average, if not petite
Height – 5'1”
Weight –115 lb
Special Abilities or Powers –the ability to see “life smudges”

Family and Childhood:
Mother – Elani Mercer Shepherd
Father – Flavian Shepherd
Mother's Occupation – Daughter of a wealthy merchant
Father's Occupation – Shepherd dreaming of being a merchant
Family Finances – low middle class. Elani comes from a mid-upper class family.
Birth Order – youngest
Brothers – Gabriel, twin, deceased.
Sisters – Aurelia Dawn (+5 years) and Briony Sage (+3 years)
Other Close Family – grandfather Quentyn
Best Friend – her sister Briony...does that count? She doesn't get out much.
Other Friends – her other sister Aurelia, on a good day. They're closer than most sisters, but not quite friends, if you know what I mean.
Enemies – Her father, at times. Julian, at times. Damien, at times. And Ignatius, though she doesn't realize it at first.
Pets – Not really. She has sheep.
Home Life During Childhood – She likes to cook (sometimes, and with help) and play the tin whistle and sing. Her chores include weaving and knitting.
Town or City Name(s) – She lives in the province of Leander in Gaiane.
Details of Town(s) or City(s) – Leander is ruled by the neighboring kingdom of Sanglier.
What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like – she shares a loft with her sisters. It's clean and tidy and is always the same. She doesn't move anything.
Any Sports or Clubs – no
Favorite Toy or Game – “Bread and Butter” a game she made up with her sisters. A type of everyone's-blind Marco Polo, until it ends in her nearly drowning. Her whistle is her favorite toy.
Schooling – None, really. Her sisters and occasionally, her father, tell her stories and teach her how to do math in her head and memorize things.
Favorite Subject – She likes stories, and wishes she could read.
Popular or Loner – loner, for obvious reasons
Important Experiences or Events – Almost drowns at age 8 while playing “Bread and Butter” 13 year old Aurelia saves her. She falls into a watering hole. When Calista turns 13, Briony gives uses rare purple dye to make purple thread to embroider the edge of Calista's brown hand-me-down cloak. Flavian is less than happy.
Health Problems – she's blind.
Culture – magic exists, but is not widely practiced. Only a few know how to use it and fewer still use it for good.
Religion and beliefs – believes in God and uses prayer beads. Also believes in angels and magic.

Your Character's Character:
Habits – Trying to look at whoever is speaking.
Best Characteristic – fairly optimistic.
Worst Characteristic – doesn't believe that she's equal in worth to her sisters because of her blindness. It's not necessarily a bad thing to her; she accepts it as a fact of life. It doesn't bother her much. Treats herself like a throw-away.
Worst Memory – Almost drowning at the age of 8.
Best Memory – The red (unconditional love) life smudge of her mother before she died. Th only time Calista has seen red.
Proud of – her music. Her singing voice.
Embarrassed by – her actions, clothing when she dresses herself, things caused by her disability.
Driving Style – she doesn't drive for 2 obvious reasons: no cars, and she's blind.
Fear/Phobias – unfamiliar places. And water. An extreme fear of water; she almost drowned.
Secrets – Her ability to “see” life smudges. Doesn't really tell people about it.
Regrets – that she “killed” her mother and twin brother.
Feels Vulnerable When – in a place she is unfamiliar with; doesn't know where she is. Often.
Pet Peeves – “Are you blind?” Having to tell people she's blind, people thinking that since she can't see them, she can't hear them or she isn't really there.
Conflicts – her father has condemned himself to death or one of his daughters to lifelong imprisonment.
Motivation – to save her father.
Short Term Goals and Hopes – After the main conflict, to save her father. To prove to him and her sisters that she's worth something. To survive living in the castle with Damien. To see so she can learn to read.
Long Term Goals and Hopes – To find love, which she believes is impossible. To prove to her family that she's worth something, despite her blindness. To discover what this “curse” her father keep mentioning is, and how she can break it, what it's doing to her.
Sexuality – she's straight. Seriously?
Exercise Routine – none.
Day or Night Person – It's always night on Planet Calista, so night person.
Introvert or Extrovert – usually forced to be an introvert because she's afraid to go out, but would rather be an extrovert.
Optimist or Pessimist – Optimist. Insanely and oddly so.

Likes and Styles:
Music – playing it. Making it up.
Books – can't read, but loves stories of all kinds. Especially fairy tales.
Foods – lamb stew
Drinks – milk, water- the only time she likes water.
Animals – birds and sheep. She's a shepherd.
Sports – “Bread and Butter”
Social Issues – doesn't really know of any. Lives “under a rock”
Favorite Saying – “Pox it!”
Color – Red. Because it means unconditional love to her.
Clothing – Her dress and cloak. Hates her apron; she's forced to wear it due to her clumsiness.
Jewelry – the rose ring her mother gave her before she died.
Games – Bread and Butter

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:
Home – her cottage in Leander.
Household furnishings – just a bit more than the basics. She and her 2 sisters share two beds in one room in the loft.
Favorite Possession – her tin whistle
Most Cherished Possession – her mother's rose ring
Neighborhood – live out in the boonies. Don't really have a neighborhood.
Town or City Name – Leander.
Details of Town or City – got taken over by Sanglier. Is ruled by King Haemon and Queen Olympia.
Married Before – no.
Significant Other Before – no.
Children – no.
Hobbies – music.
Guilty Pleasure – colors. She's extremely fascinated with colors. Especially for a blind girl.
Talents or Skills – music. And memorizing things. Anything she hears, she remembers.
Intelligence Level – she's very smart, just limited by her blindness.
Greatest Strength – her optimism.
Greatest Weakness – her throw-away attitude of herself.
Health Problems – blindness.
Biggest Mistakes – asking for a rose. Treating herself like a throw-away
Biggest Achievements – breaking two curses at once. Take that! Boo-ya!

If you could bring one person back to life and spend a whole day with him or her, who would it be and why?
My mother. I never got to meet her. I want to ask her about this curse.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I want to see. And my purple eyes draw a ton of attention. Why can't they be some normal color, like brown?

What do you do to relax after a bad day?
Sing. Play my whistle. Make music. I get lost in it.

Where would you go to hang out if you wanted to feel comfortable?
My loft. Or outside under my tree, far away from water.

What do you do when you are angry?
I play music. One time I tried to run away. It didn't end well. (see day 6)

Do you have a secret passion? What? Why is it a passion? And why is it a secret?
I want to see. I want to ask my mother about the curse. If I say anything about it though, my dad will blow a gasket. He doesn't like me.

How do you feel in a crowd? How do you feel alone?
I hate crowds. Life smudges and bodies everywhere... it's scary. And loud. I can't hear where I am. And I always feel alone. All the time.

Deep down, what does you really think of yourself? Are you fair, moral, honest, ect...
I'm too optimistic for my own good. And I'm extremely resilient.

How important is money to you? Why?
I'm a Shepherd. I never had much. I could care less. Especially about lavish homes- I can't see any of is. Not important at all.

What do you consider romantic?
Honesty. So many people try to trick blind girls, because apparently we're gullible. But I don't know how you look. I'm easy to trick, not because I want to be, though.

How do you deal with anger, sadness, external/internal conflict, change, loss, jealousy, hurt, ect...? Why?
I play music. That's it.

How do you think others see you as a person? How do you think other see you when it comes to looks and clothes?
I'm not sure. I'm blind.

DAY 6: PROTAGONIST BACKGROUND STORY

Calista gets angry at her grandfather when they meet for the first time...

Not many people came to visit our house. We live in the middle of nowhere. Literally. There's a reason we're called Shepherds. The one time my grandfather Quentyn visited sent the house into an uproar. We had to clean the house, which I didn't see the point in. Then again, I couldn't see what kind of a mess it was. I was eleven, and I hadn't even met my grandfather yet. He's very rich, my father said. He's my mother's father.
“He's coming!” Briony shouted, and suddenly grabbed my arm and we stood by the front door, all in a line, ready to meet our grandfather. My father opened the door. “Mr. Mercer! So good to see you!” my father said.
“Likewise, Mr. Shepherd,” my grandfather said flatly. He was not impressed; I could tell.
“These are my daughters,” my dad said insistently. “Aurelia Dawn, Briony Sage, and Calista Rose.”
Briony moved next to me, and then Quentyn took my hand and moved as if he was going to kiss it. Then he noticed something. It was probably the rose ring on my finger.
“What's this?” he said, almost angrily.
“My ring. My mother gave it to me.”
“She gave it to a blind girl?” He was still talking to me, but it was like I wasn't there. “A violet-eyed child? That's not natural, Flavian.” Tears burned in those useless violet eyes. Just because I couldn't see didn't mean that I couldn't hear or didn't exist.
“I'm here! I can hear you!” I shouted, and then ran forward, pushing through his life smudge and out the door. I was angry. I caught glimpses of black when I looked down at myself. I ran. I didn't know where. Hopefully not towards the watering hole or a cliff. This was stupid idea, but I had to get away from him.
“Calista!” Briony called. “Callie! Stop!” I don't usually like being called Callie, but Briony gets away with it a lot. Panic rose in her voice. “STOP! Calista!” I skidded to a stop, smashing my head into a huge, rough barked tree. I was suddenly very tired. I wanted to go to sleep.
Before I knew it, Briony was at my side. “Are you all right? Callie?”
I yawned. “My head hurts,” I said tiredly, my eyes closing.
Briony's hand gently felt the scratches on my head. I moved my hand to my forehead, and felt and smelled sticky sweetness that I knew was blood.
“You can't go to sleep, Calista. You can't go to sleep,” Briony's voice was edged in urgency. Sea green fear edged the bits of her life smudge that I saw when I opened my eyes. “Stay awake, you understand me? You're walking back home with me.”
I stayed awake. Barely. And when I got home, she bandaged me up and gave me a tea to drink. I stayed in my room with her the rest of the time Grandfather Quentyn was there. I never spoke to him again, and Briony made sure I didn't fall asleep. She knew these things. She kept an herb garden and knew which leaves would cure a headache or dye cloth yellow.
I, on the other hand, knew nothing of worth. I knew how to sing and make music on my whistle, but that didn't cure headaches or make clothes. I could weave and knit, but I couldn't sew, cut, spin, card, or shear wool. I could cook a little, but I wasn't allowed to do it, and I couldn't make it delicious like Aurelia could. And when it came time to clean or decorate, I was left in my room so I'd stay out of the way. I needed to stay out of the way. That was all I was good for.

DAY 8: CULTURAL SETTING

Setting: The story takes place in two of the 12 provinces/kingdoms of Gaiane. Leander and Sanglier (SAN-glee-AY) are two southern coast kingdoms. Both kingdoms are ruled by King Haemon and Queen Olympia of Sanglier. Leander was taken over by the Sanglians hundreds of years ago and has been living in peace under Sanglier's rule ever since. Basic laws, nothing out of the ordinary. Kings are allowed to do pretty much whatever they want, but it's considered scandalous to be a mistress, even to a king. Pandora is looked down upon. There's also a fairly strong caste system, in which it's not culturally acceptable for a merchant daughter to marry a shepherd son. Last names are based on occupation (Shepherd, Miller, Mercer, Carver)

Religion: Haven't really put much thought into this, but it's monotheistic for sure. Magic exists, though most people are unaware of its existence, and those that practice it don't make it known. There's probably a law against it. The religion is Christian, early christian most likely. I'm considering having Briony make Calista “prayer beads” which are kind of an early rosary. But it's not a rosary; just a string of knots to help Calista remember all her prayers. I'm going to use Bible verses at the beginning of the chapters.
For example:
Psalm 146:8 - The Lord gives sight to the blind.
2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 5:7 - We live by faith, not by sight.
1 Peter 3:3-4 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
1 John 2:9-11 - Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing that can cause him a fall. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

DAY 9: OUTLINE #2

“I came into this world kicking and screaming and killing”

Calista Rose Shepherd’s birth had a high cost: the lives of her mother and twin brother and her own sight was taken by a curse. When her mother's father dies, leaving the Shepherd family his fortune, Calista's father goes off to collect the money, getting caught in a storm on the way home. He takes a rose home for his daughters that ends up coming at the price of his life or the lifetime imprisonment of one of his daughters to a terrible man he didn't even see. Calista volunteers to go in her father's place and meets Damien, the owner of the castle, who begins to woo her. On Midwinter's Eve, Damien kisses Calista and she discovers his true form: a beast. Meanwhile, Calista's eldest sister Aurelia is engaged to Julian Miller, and they decide to go to the castle and “rescue” (read: kidnap) Calista. And in the woods lies a deeper evil, Damien's younger half brother, Prince Ignatius, bent on killing his brother. In the climax, Calista must face her greatest fear to save Damien and break both of their curses.

DAY 10: SETTING #1 DRAWING

I drew Calista's cottage. Here's a link to it. It's terrible.
http://haili73.deviantart.com/art/NaNo-Prep-Challenge-Day-10-331885738

DAY 11: SETTING #1 DESCRIPTION

This is the Shepherd home. It's a modest little house with a lean to and a small addition to the back, and a loft with a gable above. The ceiling is so low that only the center of the room is usable for beds, dressers, and trunks. This is where Calista and her sisters sleep. On the outside, it's a whitewashed cottage with a rough roof, nothing sharp or hard, it's all very rounded. It smells like the flowers and herbs that Briony grows. The floor is hard, and there is a corner with a spinning wheel and loom where the girls do their work. It's soft in that corner. It's generally pretty quiet. Flavian is often out in the field with the sheep. Calista doesn't speak much because she sees through hearing. Briony's often outside in her garden, and Aurelia keeps herself busy in the kitchen, clanking around. Calista does like singing and playing her whistle, so that's one of the big sounds in the house, along with the clack of the loom and the whir of the spinning wheel. It tastes like Aurelia's lamb stew and Briony's herbs.

DAY 12: ANTAGONIST PROFILE

I hate villains. I'm horrible at them. Ask anyone. I chose Iggy because he's the villain in the climax; in actuality, not including non-human villains, one could consider Flavian, Damien, and Julian villains, even King Haemon. So, yeah. Prince Ignatius.

Some of the Basics First:
Full Name – Prince Ignatius Haemon Sanglier (royalty's last name is their kingoms)
Meaning of Name – Fiery, Son of Creon, Boar
Nickname – Ig, Iggy. No one calls him that much though.
Birth Date – Waterdance (April) 30, Year of the Boar
Astrological Sign and Details –Taurus. Reliable with lots of patience, Extremely kind and loving, Strong determination, Very security minded, Prone to jealousy, Can be Resentful and Rigid, Greed and self indulgence issues
Birth Place – the palace
Age --18
Nationality – Sanglian
Race – white
Hair Color -- gold (Calista "sees" greed in the color gold, which is also Ig's favorite color, if that tells you anything about him)
Hair Style – wavy
Shape and Features of Face – strong jaw and chin.
Glasses or Contacts – no.
Eye Color -- green (according to Calista's life smudge spectrum, this would mean he's jealous,)
Skin Tone – pale
Disabilities – none.
Build or Body Type -- muscular, extremely handsome. Too handsome for his own good.
Height – 6'2"
Weight –200 lbs
Special Abilities or Powers –none.

Family and Childhood:
Mother – Olympia Sanglier
Father – Haemon Sanglier
Mother's Occupation – queen
Father's Occupation – king
Family Finances – upper class; royalty.
Birth Order – youngest
Brothers – half brother, Damien Lysander.
Sisters – none
Other Close Family – nope
Best Friend – Sebastian, his right hand buddy.
Other Friends – his adoring fans.
Enemies – according to his father, Lysander (Damien).
Pets – His horse. His dog. Whatever exotic pet he had at the time.
Home Life During Childhood – Got to do whatever he wanted, basically.
Town or City Name(s) – Lives in Sanglier.
Details of Town(s) or City(s) – Sanglier also rules the neighboring kingdom of Leander.
What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like – way too lavish and rich. His favorite color is gold. Nothing but the best for the prince.
Any Sports or Clubs – jousting and hunting. Loves hunting.
Favorite Toy or Game – when he was young, his toy hunting set.
Schooling – had tutors, didn't really pay much attention to them, but he's still somewhat educated. Can read and write.
Favorite Subject – Recess. Just kidding. Jousting and Hunting.
Popular or Loner – popular, for obvious reasons. He's a prince!
Important Experiences or Events – his father dies and tells him he has a half brother out there.
Health Problems – none.
Culture – magic exists, but is not widely practiced. Only a few know how to use it and fewer still use it for good.
Religion and beliefs – believes in God and uses prayer beads. Also believes in angels and magic.

Your Character's Character:
Habits – Always acting like Mr. Joe Cool, God's gift to girls everywhere.
Best Characteristic – his determination to get what he wants.
Worst Characteristic – his greed.
Worst Memory – his father dying.
Best Memory – His father teaching him to hunt.
Proud of – himself, in general.
Fear/Phobias – someone taking his throne.
Secrets – his father's, really. He's got a half brother.
Regrets – nothing
Feels Vulnerable When – in a place where no one recognizes him.
Pet Peeves – when someone upstages him.
Conflicts – dad died and told him he has an older half brother that needs to be taken care of.
Motivation – to be king and wealthy.
Short Term Goals and Hopes – to get rid of Lysander so that he won't try to take over the throne.
Long Term Goals and Hopes – to be king.
Sexuality – he's straight. Thinks he's god's gift to girls.
Exercise Routine – a vigorous one. Constantly working out.
Day or Night Person – Easier to hunt during the day, so a day person.
Introvert or Extrovert – extroverted and charismatic.
Optimist or Pessimist – Optimist. never had a reason to believe that he wouldn't get what he wanted.

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:
Home – Sangliean palace.
Household furnishings – more lavish than necessary. He lives in a palace.
Favorite Possession – hunting knife.
Most Cherished Possession – his bow and hunting knife his father gave him. And his sword.
Neighborhood – lives in a castle
Town or City Name – Sanglier
Details of Town or City – Ruled by King Haemon and Queen Olympia.
Married Before – no.
Significant Other Before – a maiden he rescued.
Children – no.
Hobbies – hunting.
Guilty Pleasure – money. he loves counting it, touching it. He's very greedy.
Talents or Skills – hunting. a very talented shot.
Intelligence Level – he's somewhat intelligent; refuses to apply himself.
Greatest Strength – loyalty to his father's wishes.
Greatest Weakness – love of money.
Health Problems – none.
Biggest Mistakes – I don't make mistakes.
Biggest Achievements – shooting a bear and rescuing a fair maiden.

If you could bring one person back to life and spend a whole day with him or her, who would it be and why?
My dad. I'd want to go hunting with him one last time

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I'm perfect. Why mess with a good thing?

What do you do to relax after a bad day?
Drinking with Sebastian, chatting with the guys..

Where would you go to hang out if you wanted to feel comfortable?
Out to the woods. Alone with my horse.

What do you do when you are angry?
I shoot stuff. Or go jousting.

Do you have a secret passion? What? Why is it a passion? And why is it a secret?
I want to be king. Not very secret though.

How do you feel in a crowd? How do you feel alone?
I love crowds. Especially when they're crowds of adoring people. Adoring me.

Deep down, what does you really think of yourself? Are you fair, moral, honest, ect...
I don't think that deeply. Sorry. No comment.

How important is money to you? Why?
It's a necessity. I've never been without it. I'm a prince; I should have it! I'm entitled to money and no one is going to take that away from me!

What do you consider romantic?
Being royal. I mean, who doesn't want to marry the prince of Sanglier?

How do you deal with anger, sadness, external/internal conflict, change, loss, jealousy, hurt, ect...? Why?
I go out and hunt; shoot something. Never fails to get it all out. And I get dinner in the process.

How do you think others see you as a person? How do you think other see you when it comes to looks and clothes?
They see a prince. What else?.

DAY 13: ANTAGONIST BACKSTORY

King Haemon of Sanglier brought a great secret with him to his deathbed. As he lay wheezing and gasping for his last breaths, he sent for his son, the crown prince Ignatius. The boy, age 15, with ember black hair and an ashy look of worry on his face, came rushing in to his father's bedside.
"Father," he said, giving a bow. "You called for me?"
"Yes...son," the king said with difficulty. "I must...tell you...something."
"I'm listening, Father," Ignatius said, listening overly intently.
"I'm sorry...I didn't... tell you...before."
"Tell me what, Father? Tell me what?"
The king gasped for breath again, and coughed a few times before he spoke again. "About...your..." Haemon coughed again. "Brother." he finally got out.
"Brother?" Ignatius said, confused. "What do you mean-"
Haemon held up his hand for silence, and Ignatius shut his mouth. "Half-brother," the king wheezed. "His name is... Lysander. He is... older than you...by three years...might try to...take...the throne when...I die." King Haemon dissolved into another coughing fit, falling back into his pillows.
"Lysander?" Ignatius said in wonder.
Haemon collected himself and managed to say, "Ig...I don't want him... on the throne. You are my son...he is...a bastard."
"Yes, Father. I understand."
"Make sure... he doesn't...rule Sanglier."
"I will, Father. I promise," Ignatius said earnestly. "I swear to you, I will make sure that Lysander does not rule this kingdom. if I have to get rid of the bastard myself, I will."
"That's my boy," the king coughed. Ignatius took his hand. "That's my boy."
King Haemon breathed his last.

Ignatius let go of his father's hand, placing it gently on his chest. The prince, soon to be king of Sanglier, grasped the hilt of his sword at his side. He would do as he had promised, no doubt about it. He had given his word.

DAY 15: PLOT BACKGROUND STORY

Elani Mercer stared out her window, bored as bored could be. She'd just returned from a date her father had set up, and the man had been duller than dull, and as ugly as a snake. But he was rich, one of the Brewer boys, and he stank like the brewery. She hated him.

As fate would have it, as she stared out her window, she caught sight of a handsome young man. He was leading a flock of sheep and carried a staff. He had light blond curly hair and a finely shaped body, which was more than she could say for the spindly Brewer boy.

Elani shot up and raced down the stairs and out the door.