For your perusal! If anyone here is a better writer than I am (and I'm sure many of you are), feel free to rewrite this in a cooler way. Fellow Zodiac, PLEASE feel free to change the dialogue to match your character's personalities/dialects/etc! I'm totally shooting in the dark and I know I'll get them wrong, so please correct me.
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Ever since the beginning of time, the Zodiac have controlled the night skies of Gaia and the universe. Working together, they bring prosperity to everyone below them. They work in a counsel, with one Zodiac serving as leader, and another serving as their second in command. In order to make sure that the world below stays at peace, the Zodiac make sure to work in tandem. One Zodiac never serves as leader for too long. Every one thousand years, a challenge takes place, to decide who the next leader of the Zodiac will be. What the challenge is changes every time, to make up for each of the constellations' various and diverse skills. One year, it will be a test of wit. The next, a test of strength. At the end, only two Zodiac stand as victors.
Last time, the challenge was won by Aquarius and Sagittarius, who combined their individual skills and their impressive intelligence and wit to finish a long and difficult labyrinth set up by the Zodiac Ophichus. They have served as leaders well, but now the time has come for a new leader to take their place.
"It should be a contest of judgement." Libra commented at the meeting held in the stars. "A trial of moral righteousness."
"Hardly!" Taurus said. "This should be a contest of hard work and diligence. It's important to being leader."
"Or a contest of beauty!" Virgo added.
"Nah." Scorpio scoffed. "It should be a contest of mechanical knowledge. In the past one thousand years, Gaia has made technological advancements, and we should know that!"
"No!" Sagittarius said. "It should be a contest in archery!"
"SO YOU'D WIN! HARDLY!" growled Aries.
The Zodiac began to argue amongst each other, each determined to have their strength be the subject of the next contest. This continued for several minutes straight, until Ophichus raised his hand.
"Silence!"
Instantly, the room grew quiet. Ophichus folded his hands neatly in his lap and reclined in his chair.
"We need to find a contest that none of us are particularly good or bad at. So I propose this: A contest on our ability to entertain! After all, we are here to serve the people below the stars. For three nights, we open the gates to our respective realms and host a part in the stars. The two Zodiac with the best party wins. How does that sound?"
The Zodiac all began murmuring to each other, clearly intrigued by the idea. Aquarius eyed Sagittarius, who nodded tentatively. It had been ages since their gate was open at all.
"Alright." Ophichus called. "All in favor?"
"Aye!"
The next great Zodiac contest began.
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:48 pm
Are we allowed to comment here because I have a suggestion. If not I'll delete this post. public acclaim or celebratory prestige
I think it sounds great! biggrin Are you going to have a poll running in the main plot thread where they can vote for their favorite pair? It would be cool if something happened in the story at the end based on who wins. xd
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:02 am
LilChibiusa
I think it sounds great! biggrin Are you going to have a poll running in the main plot thread where they can vote for their favorite pair? It would be cool if something happened in the story at the end based on who wins. xd
I think it sounds great! biggrin Are you going to have a poll running in the main plot thread where they can vote for their favorite pair? It would be cool if something happened in the story at the end based on who wins. xd
I second this notion! xD
I third this notion.
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:47 pm
Raff_sapphire6
Violet the Maestro
LilChibiusa
I think it sounds great! biggrin Are you going to have a poll running in the main plot thread where they can vote for their favorite pair? It would be cool if something happened in the story at the end based on who wins. xd
Also, is there going to be a meeting about some of the Zodiacs being use in multiply rooms?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 8:36 pm
PinkieKitty
Overall, I like the main plot. I just don't like the phrasing "popularity contest". It feels juvenile, like a callback to the shallow worries of adolescents. I feel like it gives off the wrong vibe. I don't think that's what was intended, and perhaps it's just me and nobody else feels this way, and coming up with alternatives would be rather difficult. But I have two suggestions that you might consider: 1) public acclaim 2) celebratory prestige
:shy: So.. I took you up on that offer to rewrite the passage...
Since the dawn of time, and the dusk of of eternity, the night skies of the Gaian universe has been ruled by a group of celestial beings called the Zodiac. These beings work together in a counsel to do their best to bring prosperity, peace and unification to the world below their starry wonderland. To keep keep the world beneath their feet running smoothly, the Zodiac work in tandem, always having two Head of Counsel that changes between themselves regularly - giving everyone repetitive chances to lead.
Every millennium a contest or challenge arises to choose who will be the leader for the next thousand years. It is never the same to creative diversity of challenge through these celestial beings for each had a different strength and purpose of existence. Some of these challenges were tests of wit, or strength. Sometimes it was a test of wills. Every thousand years, a new game would come to be, and at the end only two Zodiac could win.
Last time, the challenge was won by Aquarius and Sagittarius, who combined their individual skills and their impressive intelligence and wit to finish a long and difficult labyrinth set up by the Zodiac Ophichus. They have served as leaders well, but now the time has come for a new leader to take their place.
"A test of judgement!" Libra voted in the heavenly meeting that would decide the fate of the Challenge. "A contest in which we find who is the epitome of moral righteousness!
"Hardly!" Taurus retorted with a huffy snort. "This should be a contest of hard work and diligence. As a leader, nothing is more important than dedication!"
"Well, I think it should be a beauty pagent!" Virgo chimed in airily, causing Taurus to roll their eyes, groaning in exasperation, muttering:
"You would think that. It's all you're good at."
"Nah." Scorpio scoffed. "It should be a contest of mechanical knowledge. In the past one thousand years, Gaia has made technological advancements, and we should know that!"
"No!" Sagittarius said. "It should be a contest in archery!"
"SO YOU'D WIN? HARDLY!" growled Aries fiercely.
The Zodiac began to argue amongst each other, each determined to have their strength be the subject of the next contest. This continued for several minutes straight, until Ophichus raised his hand.
"Silence!"
His voice boomed louder than the rest, resonating it seemed into the very walls of the heavenly palace in which they all lounged. Instantly, the room grew quiet. Ophichus folded his hands neatly in his lap and reclined in his chair.
"A challenge to choose a leader should not be of any particular strength to any one of us. We are here to serve the World Below are we not? So why not let them decide? We have a contest of public acclaim."
All was silent in the room for a long moment, before Virgo raised her hand. "I...I don't get it." She squeaked, causing yet another roll of the eyes from Taurus.
"My dear Virgo. I am of course referring to Celebrity prestige....You know? Popularity?"
"Oh! Right! I knew that!"
Ophichus smiled patiently. "For three nights, we open the gates to our respective realms and host a party in the stars. But not just any party. A party of which the likes of those Below have never seen! The two Zodiac with the best party wins. How does that sound?"
The Zodiac all began murmuring to each other, clearly intrigued by the idea. Aquarius eyed Sagittarius, who nodded tentatively. It had been ages since their gate was opened, and none the less most could not recall the last it had been opened to the World Below.
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