I’d been suffer from burnout/writers bock for the last month or so, but I’m finally coming out of it. As almost always, part of getting over such things has required a genre shift and I’ve settled on fantasy so we’ll be returning to my Alaria setting for the foreseeable future.

Up first is a new poll driven story that is as of now untitled. You can find it HERE or bellow the break. It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these, so a quick reminder how they work. I will write the story in short parts, posting them as I go with one or more polls for what happens next. Each of these will have a ton of options and you’ll be able to vote for about half of the options. Whichever gets the most votes is what will happen next in the story. Depending on how fast I’m getting votes, and what other projects I’m writing, I’ll probably be closing voting after a few days to a week.

Going forward I’ll be working on at least two projects, although I haven’t quite settled on what the other one will be yet. But it WILL be an Alaria story of some kind.

Untitled Alaria Poll Driven Story

Heavy incense smoke filled the small, candlelit room the cloaked figures stood in. They were gathered around a large crystal ball, peering into it as images shifted and came into focus in the shimmering orb.

“There she is,” one of the cloaked figures said gleefully as the image in the glass took shape. “Elaina Brightcandle, the one everything will center on…”

The others stood in silence for some time, watching the girl displayed in the crystal ball. Elaina was a tall, thin Human girl, barely nineteen years of age. Her facial features were narrow and long, with a nose and chin a bit too large to be considered traditionally attractive. The girl’s long blond hair was draped over her shoulders, her bangs in need of trimming and hanging down to half-cover blue eyes that were too large for her narrow features.

She wore a simple white dress with a gray corset over it that, on a woman with more curves, would have been very attractive. On her, however, it just worked to accent her youthful lack of curves and highlight her gangly teenage awkwardness.

Elaina seemed to be aware of her awkwardness, pensively looking around at the people she passed on the busy street she was walking down. In her left hand she clung to a thick tome she held in front of her. She clung to her left forearm with her right hand, anxiously scratching at her pale, white skin.

“She’s nervous,” one of the cloaked figures declared. “Afraid someone she passes will recognize the symbol on the cover of that book.”

“Of course she is. These simple people in this town… if they knew the ancient, forbidden knowledge she carried they wouldn’t let her go unpunished.” The others laughed. “Some of them in the town… they aren’t as ‘pure-hearted’ as the little twit thinks, either. The kind of ‘punishment’ she’d suffer might not be what she’d expect…”

“You think that’s why she peers so anxiously at all the men? Is she apprehensive for their eyes to fall on her THAT way, or is she eager for it?”

One of the cloaked figures chuckled lecherously before responding. “Whether she admits it or not she IS eager to be looked at that way, although perhaps not just by the men. Look at the dress she chooses to wear! The top is little more than two cloth slings for those small, almost non-existent breasts. Showing off what meager cleavage she has. And the skirt! Bunched up under that corset so it’s shorter than it should be and hanging open at the side to show off her thighs. Ptah! She thinks to show off an ass that’s too wide and flat and thighs too thick for her small frame and long legs.”

“There are plenty who would find her body most pleasing,” another of the cloaked figures quickly pointed out. “If not for its current shape, but for what it might become as the awkward young thing grows into womanhood properly.”

“Perhaps it’s her seeming awkward innocence that any attracted to her would find desirable,” another said, licking their lips in a most unsavory manner.

“Perhaps,” one with authority said. “And perhaps we’ll soon find out. She is near her destination. Now everyone, silence. We must watch so we can plan our next move properly…”

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What happens to Elaina as we start our story? (Vote for up to 8 options)