Roen Swynford

From Chapter One. It’s a long scene, so I started partway through, to include more dialogue. Introduces setting and the antagonist (Kasiran), in the pivotal moment that changes his life. Swept Up Kasiran's work coat hung next to Afah’s in the family’s sleeping room, its hook set low so he could reach it himself. The coat wasn’t new exactly. Amah had pieced it together from Afah’s worn-out coats, using the least-stained parts. It took several tries to push his arms through the unfamiliar long sleeves. Out in the kitchen Afah and Amah were speaking quietly. The only clear words were Amah saying, “my baby”. Silly Amah! He had six summers! Old enough to go work with Afah. Jarike down the street had been working with his father for three moons, and he was a hand taller than Jarike. There! The coat was on. The toggle buttons were confusing, but Afah would show him. Amah was sitting at the table mending a shirt when he came in wearing the work coat. Amah lowered her hands, eyes filling with tears. He went to her and they touched foreheads. “Sun shine on you, my son. Learn well, and remember.” “Sun shine on you, Amah.” Outside in the cool morning air, Afah knelt on one knee to fasten the coat toggles, then looked at him. “There, did you see how I did that?” Kasiran nodded. Suddenly Afah’s callused hands gripped Kasiran’s shoulders, his eyes wide and serious. “Today, if I tell you to do something, use only your hands. No Talent! Do you understand?” His voice was tight, urgent. “Yes, Afah.” Kasiran replied, wide-eyed. Talent was not against the rules. But if Afah told him don’t use it, he wouldn’t. Better than being stuck at home like a baby while all his friends worked with their fathers. Taking Kasiran’s hand, Afah began walking down their street of crumbling tenements. Kasiran held on tight to keep up with Afah’s long strides, stumbling a bit on the uneven cobbles. They joined the river of other laborers, some with sons, all walking to work. Street vendors going to the market square threaded uphill through the crowd, singing their wares. A cart selling pork wrapped in pastry went by, trailing a delicious aroma that made his stomach growl. The narrow street ended at a small plaza. A cool wind carrying a tang of seawater and the screeching of gulls brushed his face. Ahead was the harbor, a haze of swaying masts and boats, where fishermen unloaded their catch. Kasiran sucked in a deep breath. The ocean always smelled exciting, even the fishy part. Oh to be a sailor, working on the sea in open air. Afah squeezed his hand and pointed to a round stone building. “Our workplace, Abirkan Central Cisterns.” Well-dressed men and women flowed in and out of a wide central door, but Afah turned aside to a smaller door where a line of laborers waited, some with sons. At the door Afah gave their names to a man standing there, spelling out Kasiran’s name. The man pressed marks into a clay tablet and waved them in. The chamber was dim after the sunny plaza, and reeked of sweat and stale water. Its curved stone walls rose up to a vaulted ceiling of sea-blue tiles. Kasiran craned his head around the man ahead of them, but saw only more men, all shuffling toward the far wall and a row of large metal cages. Men stepped inside the cages, crowding back until it was packed full. Then the door was slid shut and two men pulled hand-over-hand on a long chain as the cage sank into the ground. Where were they going? It wasn’t until they reached the front of the line that Kasiran saw the huge hole in the floor. He tightened his grip on Afah’s hand and leaned to peer over the edge. The cages were being lowered, each in its own tunnel. A cool updraft ruffled his dark hair, smelling of river and candle smoke. Afah lead Kasiran to the left. “We’re in tunnel one.” They waited for the cage to return, empty. Afah stood aside to let others enter first, then they stepped in and stood on the side away from the chains. The cage swayed as more men entered. A large man stepped backwards, pressing his coat against Kasiran’s face. It stank of fried onions and old urine. Afah tapped the man’s shoulder. “Pobaki, my son is here.” His voice was quiet, but firm. Startled, the man turned his head, then looked down at Kasiran. “Oh ho! A new apprentice. I’m sorry young man.” He shuffled forward to make room. The door clanged shut and with a rattle of chains the cage jerked downwards. “Stop! Stop the cages!” A shout came from above. The cage jumped and swayed. Kasiran grabbed Afah’s arm for balance. A face peeked over the edge of the tunnel. “Bring the cages up!” Puzzled, the men looked at each other as the cage started upwards. When their cage clanked to a stop at the surface, a tall man in a spotless work coat slid the door open. “Come out, one by one,” he ordered. The tall man directed Afah, Kasiran, and another man with a young son to one side. Kasiran pulled on Afah’s hand. “Who’s that?” he whispered. Afah's face was pale. “Adogar, one of the bosses. Stay quiet.” Adogar surveyed the larger group from their cage. “Any with children at home? Raise a hand.” Three raised hands. Adogar questioned them one by one. Last was Pobaki, who’d nearly squashed Kasiran. “Pobaki, what about yours?” Pobaki raised his chin. “I have four at home, all over 12.” He rolled his eyes and grinned at the others. Adogar half-smiled as he made a note. “My sympathies.” He waved his hand. “You three are dismissed. Report to your stations below.” The men turned to board the cage again. Pobaki looked at them as he passed, and a corner of his mouth turned down. Afah nodded slightly. Then Pobaki was gone. Adogar looked at Afah and the other man. “The Testers for the yearly Sweep will be here shortly. We’ll wait.” He went to stand near the door, as if on guard. Kasiran’s attention drifted. Five other men also waited, with sons all about Kasiran’s age. A few men knelt next to their boys, talking earnestly. Others stood stiffly, clutching hands, the mens’ eyes darting to the entrance, then to each other. None of them were happy. Kasiran’s stomach fluttered, like that time Jarike dared him to jump from a second-level window into a cart of straw parked below. It hadn’t been very far, but the cart looked rickety. Fortunately the driver had returned and he hadn’t had to jump. He watched Afah stare at the open doorway, jaw muscle twitching. He looked the way Kasiran had felt staring down from that window, wanting to jump but not wanting to get hurt. Outside the open door a cart pulled by two long-horned orys rattled to a stop. High plank sides hid its cargo, but not the stifled crying and whining coming from inside. Three men leapt down from the drovers seat. Adogar went to greet them. The three wore bleached linen tunics belted over bright-colored trousers. Round straw hats shielded their faces from the sun. Two came inside with Adogar. One carried a long box, and a board holding real paper tied on with string. While the man with paper sat at a small table, opened the box, and took out a quill and ink, his colleague stood hands on hips, eying each father and son pair in turn. When those piercing light-brown eyes met Kasiran’s, a chill shot through him. Afah’s hand spasmed tight and Kasiran had to press his lips together to hold back a yelp. His stomach began twitching uncontrollably. Adogar stepped forward, hand indicating the two men. “This is Tester Ubartas, and Recorder Itorac. They’re here to test your sons for Talents.” He beckoned to a pair across the room, while speaking to the Tester. “Excellency, this is Ronisu and his son Maliro.” Ubartas motioned Maliro forward. Maliro was skinny, but tall enough to reach Ubartas’ belted waist. Eyes narrowed, Ubartas looked at Maliro’s father. “He looks older than six. How did we miss him last year?” Ronisu swallowed. “Uh, Excellency. Last Spring my grandmother died. Her home was in the far southeast. Two months travel, even with a wagon.” He choked on a laugh. “So few people live there. Perhaps the Sweep officials didn’t think it worth the trouble.” Ubartas’ lips pressed into a straight line. “Perhaps. As you know, I will see the truth in his mind when I Test.” Ronisu nodded, sweat breaking out on his forehead. Ubartas put his palm on Maliro’s head, eyes half-closed. Suddenly Kasiran’s bare feet were tingling. The floor was vibrating. Even the air around him hummed. Holding his head still, he glanced side to side. No one else seemed to notice… Wait! Another boy from the cage was shifting his feet. The boy looked back at him, eyes wide with fear. Finally the vibrations stopped. Ubartas took hold of Maliro’s upper arm and spoke over his shoulder. “Air. Moderately strong. Take him.” With outstretched arms, Ronisu fell to his knees. “Noooo! Please!” He began sobbing. Maliro struggled in Ubartas’ grip. “Father! What’s happening? Let me go!” Recorder Itorac came over, took the boy’s arm and pulled him out the door, still crying for his father. Ubartas waited until Itorac returned and caught up with his notes, then turned to Kasiran. Adogar came forward. His eyes were red, but his voice was cold and even. “Excellency, this is Balenos and his son Kasiran.” Understanding bloomed at last. He had Talents, and Ubartas was going to find out! That’s why Amah was sad, and Afah was so worried. His eyes darted back and forth. Ubartas looked slow. Could he reach the door? Use his Talents to escape? “I’m sorry I cannot stop this, Kasiran. Remember we love you.” Afah’s voice cracked. He looked up at Afah. “I will remember, Afah. Sun shine on you, and Amah.” Ubartas beckoned. “Come boy.” On stiff legs he walked towards Ubartas. He would not cry in front of these cruel men. Talents weren’t against the rules! Why were they taking him? He stopped in front of Ubartas, the Tester’s gold buckle just above eye level. He was tall for his age, after all. When Ubartas’s warm palm touched his head, blinding light hid the room. He floated in silent fog, numb, breathless. Then with a gasp he was standing in front of Ubartas again. His mind felt different, muffled. The Tester’s large hand grasped his upper arm. “Fire. Very strong. Earth too. He’ll be useful, this one. Take him.” He gestured towards the door. Itorac pulled him out to the cart. Biting his lip, Kasiran's eyes stayed on Afah until the wall blocked his view. No crying. Afah would be proud of him. Someday he’d find a way to get home. A man lifted him into the cart, and he squeezed onto a bench with other boys and girls. Some were sniffling like Maliro. Others sat staring into space. No one talked. The cart jolted forward, bumping along the cobbled street.

For some reason the forum will only let me change a few words here and there. So I've written a revised answer to the 4th Assignment - Comps. COMPARABLES Revised Version. Recent Titles: It’s difficult to find new fantasy epics with middle-aged protagonists, male or female. I chose the three below based on reading the samples and plot descriptions. Each has a protagonist with strong skills or gifts, living quiet lives until they’re unexpectedly thrust into a quest to save the world/their families. The Shadow of What Was Lost, James Islington The Last Ranger, J.D.L. Rosell The Song of All, Bk 1, Tina LeCount Myers Older Titles: Eye of the World, series, Robert Jordan While I'm not at the level of Robert Jordan, his "magic" system is similar in that it uses inborn gifts that need mental focus to use, and these gifts can be difficult or impossible to use if the practitioner has an emotional difficulty. I see the next two books as “aspirational” in their prose style and characterizations. I like the authors’ writing, the action moves at a good pace, the characters are relatable, and the world-building is detailed and feels “lived in”. I also enjoy Bujold’s ability with third-person close POV. Legend of Paksennarion series, Elizabeth Moon. Last book in the series published 2014. The male protagonist is unaware of the magic he’s inherited, until he finds out his unknown family background. He and the middle-aged female protagonist must protect their kingdoms from dark magic. World of Five Gods series, Lois McMaster Bujold Paladin of Souls, second book in this trilogy, has a middle-aged female protagonist who must use her wits and life experience to defeat dark-magic antagonists. Meanwhile, the search for more recent comp titles goes on…

THE ACT OF STORY STATEMENT To avoid the shame of being ‘Talent-blind’, 51-year old Seja works her farm and raises the children in solitude, until her grown son is kidnapped. She leaves everything behind to go search for him. When she learns there’s a dark Talent behind the kidnapping she must figure out how to unblock her own elemental Talent, and work with a brash young dragon to thwart the dark Talent’s plan to enslave her world. THE ANTAGONIST PLOTS THE POINT Kasiran of Ryemin. Born in Arjenkaria, the eastern continent, to parents so poor they have not earned a surname. At age 6 he’s tested in the annual Sweep for Talents. He’s highly gifted in all four elements, but it’s so rare the Tester stops looking after finding earth Talent. Kasiran is taken from his family for training. His parents are paid a year’s wages and forced to sign a contract dis-owning him. At the state academy he’s outwardly a good student. Required to specialize in just one or two elements, he secretly practices combining all four, gradually falling into dark uses of Talent. At 14 he accidentally kills a classmate. The Head Teacher has him abducted from school and left in the wilderness. Taken from his family, betrayed by the school, he vows to never be controlled again. He believes four element Talent makes him invincible. He learns to take over the minds of his followers, and keeps slaves to draw life-force from so he can heal himself after using dark Talent. In his late 20's he allies with extremists who believe Talents are entitled to rule, and others are lesser. They move to Riata, take over an abandoned fort at Ryemin, and begin taking steps to conquer the entire continent. THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title (list several options, not more than three, and revisit to edit as needed). I'm still looking for other titles. These are the first few I've thought of. The Fire that Reveals Child of Earth & Fire An Unwanted Dragon FOURTH ASSIGNMENT: Develop two smart comparables for your novel. DECIDING YOUR GENRE Genre: Epic Fantasy with dragons and elemental magic COMPARABLES *See second Reply post below for update** FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: write your own hook line (logline). A Talent-blind middle-aged woman searching for her kidnapped son must unblock her elemental Talent and work with an overbearing dragon to defeat a dark Talent plotting to enslave her world. SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Inner Conflict of Protagonist: Seja T’Larenn, eldest daughter of her clan, is the “Dai”, or leader of the clan. She's responsible for the clan’s well-being, success, and jointly-owned land. Her parents valued self-control above displays of affection. She was the strongest earth Talent of her generation, so they put a lot of pressure on her to excel. Their love was conditional on whether she met their standards of behavior and achievement. She learned she was not worthy of love unless she could do everything to a very high standard. As an adult she thinks showing vulnerability and needing help invites rejection. Six years ago her husband Teral left her. She believes it's her fault he was unhappy. Her emotional journey is learning she’s worthy of love, it’s alright to need others, be vulnerable, and accept help without feeling like a failure. Scenario: While searching for her kidnapped son, she’s captured by a group of border raiders and discovers her long-lost husband is with them. He pretends not to know her, and she notices he is close to another woman in the group. This confirms her belief she isn’t worthy of love, but seeing it with her own eyes is devastating. The next day she’s tortured by the group’s leader to find out what she knows. That night Teral’s female companion comes to clean and heal Seja’s wounds. Bound hand and foot, Seja must allow it, but is angry and silent. As she works on Seja’s wounds, the woman quietly tells Seja what happened to Teral, and how they’re unwillingly trapped in this group. Seja doesn’t respond and the woman leaves. But Seja considers what the woman said and begins to get the barest glimmer that it might not be all ‘her fault’. Maybe Teral’s discontent was partly due to his own dreams of what his life could be, and his failure to communicate with her. A few nights later, when others are asleep, Teral and the woman come to the tent. They untie Seja, give her food and water, and together they sneak out of camp. They plan to help Seja escape, and they’ll escape in another direction. As they get away someone wakes up, notices Seja is gone, and the group comes after them. As they run Teral is wounded by an arrow. They find a cave to hide in. Teral insists Seja get away. She runs but is torn with many conflicting emotions, including gratitude, anger, fear, regret. Next, likewise sketch a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict" involving the social environment. Secondary/Inner Conflict with Social Environment & Family: Seja was one of the strongest earth Talents in many generations and known throughout her region. Earth Talent gave her the ability to heal and to nurture the soil, plants and animals. It also helped her become highly skilled at spinning and weaving. When her husband left six years ago without explanation, Seja suppressed her pain and rejection so completely she became unable to use her earth Talent. Losing her abilities is shattering. She feels worthless and blames herself, without understanding it’s a problem she could resolve by facing her inner pain. Scenario: Seja is ‘Talent-blind’, and Nerreth society looks down on the Talent-blind. Elemental Talents allow the Talented person to draw the life-force of the planet and use it manipulate earth, water, fire or air, in various ways. Talents also help people produce crafts and other goods to a very high standard. Talent-blind Seja cannot heal others, and her craft-work is seen as low quality by her country’s standards. Plus, working the farm without earth Talent to assist is far more difficult. Scenarios: At the beginning of the story the barn burns down. Seja and her son can’t put the fire out. It would’ve been easy if she still had Talent. Even more humbling, she can’t heal their wounds, so they’re healed by the village healer. After her son leaves to start his apprenticeship Seja’s family thinks she can’t take care of the farm alone. Her sister wants to move to the farm so her children can learn more about farming. Seja refuses because, as she sees it, she’s being treated as a decrepit old woman who can’t fend for herself. Seja and her daughter Jyra don’t get along. Jyra blames her mother for her father’s desertion, and doesn’t understand why her mother hasn’t got over it yet. Jyra is ashamed that her mother, once a respected healer and farmer, is now Talent-blind. FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. I’ve done a lot of world-building, but I’ve tried to minimize geeky details that don’t affect the plot much. Planet: The planet Tal’effa averages a little cooler than Earth. Natural laws are approximately the same, but the plants, animals and people are different than Earth’s in some ways. There are naturally-occurring dragons. There’s only one moon, and its shadows look like a dragon, just as shadows on Earth’s full moon look like a rabbit or a face. Dragons are significant in all cultures, though in different ways. The action takes place in the northern hemisphere. Two large continents are separated by about one-third of the planet’s surface. There are relatively few people. They’ve invented things like water mills, ore refineries and metal working, sailing, pottery and glass, but there’s no large-scale industries. It’s only in the last 100 years that sailing vessels could reliably make the journey between continents. Most people live at a pre-industrial level of development. Talent: Talent is genetic. Having an elemental Talent means the person can draw on the natural energy (life-force) of one, sometimes two, elements, Air, Water, Fire and Earth, to do things like affect the weather in a limited area, create a fire, move large amounts of earth, heal injuries, encourage plants to grow, etc. People have varying levels of Talent, just like any other inherited trait. About 5% of people are born highly Talented. Cost of Talent: The effort of drawing on elemental energy to perform tasks uses bodily energy. Constant overuse, especially when young, can eventually result in weakened bones and muscles, affect brain or nervous system function, and reduce the body’s ability to fight germs and disease. Dark Talent: Using Talent for dark purposes, like hurting or killing other living beings, causes negative effects on the user to a greater degree than simple overuse. The Three Lands (western continent) Nerreth: Main character’s country. Covers most of the western half of the continent, geography and climate similar to western Norway; generally cool, with snowy winters and mild summers. The coast is cliffs or narrow bands of sloping land. Rivers run from the central mountains into long glacier-carved sea inlets. People farm or graze livestock on the sloping ground along sea inlets, or in a few inland valleys. Nerreth is socially and politically different than its neighbors. Inheritance and family lines are matrilineal. It elects leaders, there is no noble class, and it doesn’t keep a standing army. From birth, all Nerreth citizens learn to contribute to the common good as needed, for the benefit of all. All Nerrethans are artistic/creative to various extents. They believe if you’re going to make a thing, it should be well-made and beautiful, as well as useful. These characteristics make Nerreth seem weak to other countries. Some story conflict is because the neighboring country, Riata, is plotting to take over Nerreth for its rich silver ore deposits, abundant water, timber and fish stocks, as well as its people who produce finely-crafted goods. Talents in Nerreth: All Nerrethans with Talent are trained from childhood in mental focus techniques so they can use Talent and remain healthy. Nerreth is also the only country that requires an Oath to prevent Talented people from hurting others or themselves. The Oath brings immediate physical consequences for dark use of Talents. Most people use Talent to augment their skills. Nerreth society has high expectations for the highly-Talented. There’s little social tolerance for low quality. The Talent-blind, or those with low Talent, must work harder to meet expectations, or find careers where Talent isn’t relevant. Low Talented people like Seja’s son Giri, and her aunt Riann, have sour feelings about Nerrethan attitudes towards Talent. They did their training, but have decided life is easier if they pretend they have none at all. Nerreth Scenes: The T’Larenn family farm. Set on a northern sea inlet, where the River Larenn meets ocean water. The land and house are owned by the whole family, but it’s inhabited by the eldest daughter of the direct family line, currently the protagonist, Seja. It's a big responsibility, including livestock, grazing land, forest preserve, the house and outbuildings. It’s meant to be run by a family. Multiple opening scenes happen on the farm. Family members visit for a holiday, or to see Seja. A barn catches fire and burns down because Seja and son Giri can’t put it out alone. Other family members begin to question whether Seja can continue managing alone, after her son leaves home. The village of Jirrin is a 30-minute ride east from the farm. Possible scene showing Seja and her daughter Jyra disagreeing about whether Seja should look for Giri. The Dragon Spines. High central mountain range on Nerreth’s eastern border with Riata. These form the continental divide. It’s a remote rugged area with just a few small villages. Seja travels alone into the Dragon Spines to find her son. On her journey she gets caught in a large storm, takes shelter in a cave, is caught in a cave-in, meets a dragon, and is captured by Riatan border raiders. Seja’s son Giri, a secondary POV character, travels to the Spines with Riann in a trade caravan. They escape a mud slide, and Giri is captured by border raiders. Various dragon characters live in these mountains and reveal themselves to the main character during the story. The young dragon Falyrra, a secondary POV character, becomes Seja's travel companion. Riata: Riata is east of the Dragon Spines. It’s the same latitudes as Nerreth, but extends further south. The rain shadow of the Dragon Spines make Riata generally drier. Society and government are based on inheritance through the male line. There is a tradition of consensus and balance of power between the King and the Advisors, so no one gains a long-term advantage. But there’s always an unhappy minority wanting more power. Riatans know of Talent but there are fewer Talented people than in Nerreth. Riata doesn’t require an Oath or training, so fewer survive to middle age. Riata Scenes: Riatan raiders prey on Nerrethan trade caravans passing through the mountains. Giri is captured by Riatan raiders in the Dragon Spine mountains. Seja’s missing husband is trapped into working for Riatan raiders. If he tries to leave he’ll be killed. Seja is captured by Riatan border raiders working for the antagonist. Teral helps her escape. The antagonist uses these groups to put his followers on the border of Nerreth. There they look for highly-Talented people to enslave, as he works towards taking over the continent. The antagonist, Kasiran, spends time in the capital, Reatha, a port city at the mouth of the Temyr River. He meets political officials and begins subverting the discontented minority of Riatan royal Advisors for his purposes. Kasiran and his followers take over an abandoned fort, Ryemin, on the Temyr River. This is where Seja and the dragon find him. A number of battles are fought here before Kasiran is defeated. Eras: Eras is mostly arid, with few known natural resources. Much of the country is ungoverned. It’s hard to settle border disputes because the ruler may not be acknowledged by all the tribes. The population is made up of indigenous groups that follow the weather and movement of herd animals for survival. The primary ones are Ayamel, Kiatren, and Xeralan. Elemental Talents are rare, seem to occur randomly, and Erasnans are suspicious of them. Because there’s no Oath or training, fewer Talented people survive to middle age. Eras Scenes: So far there are none located in Eras. Seja’s aunt Riann leads the trade caravan Giri is kidnapped from. Riann has a long-time partnership with an Ayamel tribal group from Eras who serve as caravan guards. Arjenkaria (eastern continent) Generally warmer than the Three Lands. Two major mountain ranges run north to south, one on the west side, the other on the east side. The central plain averages 2-3,000 feet altitude. In the north it’s predominantly wet grassland, transitioning to drier biomes south of the capital, Abirkan. The main city in southern Arjenkaria is Tajor. The northern, ‘northran’ culture tends to dominate the country. Southern Arjenkaria tends to be drier, more rural, and people are poorer. There is some low-key social stigma attached to being ‘southran’. “The Thirteen” are ancient noble families descended from highly-Talented war-lords who amassed feudal territories before the country’s political Consolidation 1,000 years ago. Below them are nobles, merchants, and the labor class. Noble families outside The Thirteen rose to power after the Consolidation. Nobles are born with surnames. Everyone else must earn a surname. Surnames can be awarded by serving the monarch, or for notable military or government services. People who’ve acquired enough wealth and reputation can apply for a surname from the government, and hope it’s granted. Those in the labor class have little social mobility, unless they have a lot of Talent. All nobility treat anyone in the labor class as servants. Government: The Monarch (m. or f.) must come from The Thirteen, and must have strong Talent. Monarch and Council of Nobles govern the country. The Monarch has veto power, but must also please the Council members or potentially face a coup. Coups are common, and can be deadly or just exile. Council then chooses the strongest Talent from the next generation of the Monarch’s clan as new Monarch, unless there’s a strong negative trait that rules them out. Refusal to become Monarch can also be hazardous. Exclusionists: An extremist minority who believe the highly-Talented are inherently superior beings, and by natural right should rule over low-Talents. They have not been able to gain enough influence on the Council to enforce their beliefs through laws, so their political power waxes and wanes. Talents: In Arjenkaria the frequency of highly-talented people is the same, around 5% of the population. Arjenkarians consider the highly-Talented to be blessed by their gods, and thus more worthy of respect. Talented children of all classes are required to attend an academy in the nearest large city. No vow is required. Talented can use their gifts for any purpose, as long as it’s discreet and doesn’t cause embarrassment or expense to the government. Frequent Dark use results in the user’s disease and death, reducing the Talented population. Sweeps: The government conducts annual Sweeps to find highly talented children in the merchant and labor classes who’ve reached age six. The children are removed from their families for training and become wards of the monarchy. They must serve the monarchy for 10 years. The family is paid off. Arjenkaria Scenes: The antagonist, Kasiran, lives in Arjenkaria. His first scene is in Abirkan, when he’s “Swept” at age six. There are multiple scenes at the talent academy, a fortified compound outside of Abirkan. Kasiran learns to use all four elemental Talents (very rare). He gradually falls into darker and darker uses of Talent. He accidentally kills a classmate. The academy headmaster has him abducted and abandoned in the wilderness. We next see Kasiran as an angry young adult living in Abirkan. He’s a very powerful Talent. Any remorse or kindness he might have had is gone. All he wants now is to control everyone around him, to use them as he wants. He begins gathering followers from the Exclusionists. He decides to use the Exclusionists to further his ambitions. The Three Lands is a softer target, so he takes a ship to Riata.