Story Overviews
This is the Story portion of the website, in which we introduce you to some of the key stories mulling about in Astra's head.
We might eventually rotate this section to feature different stories.
For a quick list of titles (with genre) ~ and type:
~ Immortals (fantasy, action-adventure) ~ manga
~ Zodiac~Books~12 (techno-fantasy, apocalyptic, drama) ~ manga
~ Angel*Down (macabre, apocalyptic, tragedy) ~ graphic novel <--Currently ongoing in the Gallery Section under Publications!!
~ Chromatic Zone (philosophical, war, drama, fantasy) ~ manga/illustrated short story
~ Brimstone Sun (techno-punk, adventure, intrigue) ~ video game/novelette
~ Crucible (post-apocalyptic, macabre, survival) ~ illustrated short story
~ 5 Horizon (super hero) ~ manga
~ Drifting Sleeper Horizon (parallel worlds, adventure, drama) ~ mini series
~ 3ninERASE (shoujo, magical-girl, action-adventure) ~ manga
~ Eden's Fish (gay romance) ~ short story
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| Iblis ~ Immortals |
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| Samhain ~ Zodiac~Books~12 |
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| Grave ~ Empyreans |
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Immortals:
The World:
The oldest story and arguably the longest and most complicated, is set in the realms that exist on Earth unbeknownst to lowly Mortals. In this world, There are many types of Immortals, each with their own life spans, elemental powers and immunity to certain types of death.
Hunters ~ Mortals that have been granted Immortal powers (usually due to haveing had one Immortal parent), but a normal mortal lifespan with all its frailty and suceptibilities to disease and decrepitude.
Immortals ~ A large classification which includes all the many types of non-mortals, including Slayers, Soul Captors and the Soul Seeker, and the Eternals.
Slayers ~ The next level up from a normal Immortal, Slayers are generally considered more powerful than basic Immortals, but are banished from living in the peaceful Immortal Realm for having interfered with Immortal Battle. They general roam the layers between the Realms or reside in hiding on Earth. They are still capable of perishing but another Immortal who is stronger than they are, hence they generally continue to fight to try to increase their strength.
Soul Captors ~ More powerful than Slayers, Soul Captors can only be killed by other Soul Captors. These were created by the Soul Seeker, in an act of drinking their souls to sustain his incorporeal form in the Realms, and thereby sealing their fates to his own.
The Soul Seeker ~ A mysterious and solitary creature that is said to only be visible to those in extreme emotions. He is frightfully pwoerful, but hangs somewhere between life and death, forever on the search for the one item that will free him from his curse.
Eternals ~ Eternals are the most 'immortal' of all the Immortals. They include the Earth Dryads, the Merfolk, the Imps of the Fire Wastes, the Elf Princes of Wind, the Sirens of Light, and the Changlings of Kin. It also includes the 7 Guardians who are in charge of the Elemental Temples, and of the Gods that rule there. These 7 beings are said to be older than the world itself, and have gathered many titles throughout the years. It is because of the strength and longevity of the Guardians that the other Eternals are immune to death.
The Story:
The story follows the next 7 Immortals selected by the Guardians of the Gods Temples to ascend to the Reign of the New Gods. While the Gods come and go, the Guardians remain eternal to maintain the flow of power throughout time. They select the most powerful Immortals of their Elements and appoint them as God of their Temple. The Gods' job is to make sure their elements remain in balance. Unfortunately, the last batch of gods fell out in a massive war that destroyed them all. It has been some amount of time, and things have gotten chaotic and dangerous in the Realms. It is time for a new reign of Gods.
But can the New Gods succeed where their predecessors failed?
The Characters:
The New Gods:
Islay ~ God of Fire, Hunter, Soul-Twin to Omar, specialty of spontaneous combustion.
Omar ~ God of Earth, Hunter, Soul-Twin to Islay, specialty of earthquakes.
Naudia ~ Goddess of Kin, Slayer, specialty of aviators.
Koji ~ God of Water, Slayer, brother to Sephius, specialty of dissipation.
Sâng ~ Goddess of Air, Soul Captor, specialty of healing.
Ladaara ~ Goddess of Light, Soul Captor, protogeé of Sephius, specialty of burning light.
Sephius ~ God of Spirit, Half of the Soul Seeker, specialty of empathy.
The Guardians:
Krishna ~ Guardian of Light, Copper Chimera, Angel of Creation.
Varuna ~ Guardian of Water, Azure Capricorn, Angel of Technology.
Vishnu ~ Guardian of Air, Silver Griffon, Angel of Inspiration.
Pasiphäe ~ Guardian of Kin, Golden Pegasus, Angel of Compassion.
Ladon ~ Guardian of Earth, Jade Dragon, Angel of History.
Tiamat ~ Guardian of Fire, Crimson Pheonix, Angel of Protection.
Iblis ~ Guardian of Spirit, Black Unicorn, Angel of Destruction.
The Old Gods:
Rama ~ God of Light, husband to Sita, specialty of Glory.
Sita ~ Goddess of Spirit, wife of Rama, lover of Iblis, Specialty of Soul Rending.
Amphisbæna ~ Goddess of Water, specialty of Ice.
Antioch ~ Goddess of Fire, specialty of Explosives.
Garuda ~ God of Kin, the blind god, specialty of Insects.
Demter ~ Goddess of Earth, Omar's Mother, specialty of Ore/crystal growth.
Chiron ~ God of Air, specialty of Lightning.
In addition to those key players are also all the servants of the temples. There are 4 for each of the Temples, except for Light, which has 5, and Spirit which doesn't have any.
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Zodiac~Books~12:
The World:
Zodiac~Book~12 takes place on earth - or at least something very similar to Earth. The sort of scientific experiments that the scientists did on the Philosophers might be more advanced than our current capacity, I wouldn't know. There is also a deep-seeded and powerful spirit in the earth that has decided to fight for its servival in the form of allowing four Elemental Seeds to be grow to slim down the human population by a large margin and thereby return the world to nature's cyclic balance. In contrast there is an equally strong celestial force that has endowed some youth of the rising generation to fight for the survival of the human race, and moreover its current society.
The Story:
The story for the most part follows the members of the Zodiac children, the twelve chosen to fight for the survival of mankind. They each have limited magics - called Orbs - and a marking of their sign on their body that glows when they exert themselves, though it seems only other Zodiac children can see these abilities. As they find each other, through the strange workings of destiny, we begin to discover the Philosophers - our antagonists. Unlike some stories where the villains spring up out of the ground at exactly the appropriate power level for our heroes to handle, the 8 Philosophers have been there all along, sometimes visible int he background as they have worked towards their goal. As their leader, Samhain would say,
"Only in a crisi do mankind pull together. But when the crisis is averted they grow lazy once more, complacent, cowardly, unwilling to stand up for what they believe in for fear of being ridiculed or ostracised. The time for the loafer to drag down the competant is over. The world cannot sustain this way of living where some few grow greedy and rich at the expense and suffering of the less fortunate. It should be survival of the smartests, the most hard working, the most steadfast. I will give you a world in which you will give your all, or die undeserving to see its glories."
The Zodiac children, on the other hand, rather like their lives the way they are, and do not want to see world wide chaos ensue. They have hope that humanity can come together, that it can find some balance,t hat it can right its wrongs and become better if only given time.
The Characters:
The Zodiac Children:
Arcann Majors ~ Leo ~ Our hero, the pampered pretty little rich boy and his perfect life. He's beautiful, popular, intelligent, wealthy, kind and compassionate. But Arcann lives in a fairy tale life that soon is shattered and forces him to deal with ugliness in the world he never knew existed and to face falling in lvoe with the last person he expected.
Arius Amonte ~ Aries ~ The best of their fighters, Arius has a troubled past and a difficult life. Only Arcann delivers him from the nightmare he lived for so long does ari really begin to shine, proving that he is courageous, determnied, brilliant, capable and independant.
Tiburon Hammond ~ Sagitarrius ~ Tiburon comes from an upper-middle-class family, but it was a position hard worked for and well-deserved. Tiburon constantly pushes himself to do better, and to be the best. He's got a nasty competative streak, but he's devout, with high morals, an almost prudish good-boy mind set and a fastidious care for details and precision.
Taro Rae ~ Libra ~ Arcann's good friend and constantly the middleman. Taro is an artist, and always has a watchful eye open. He sympathizes and agrees with the Philosophers perhaps the most, and yet he fights hard against them. Best friends with Jyaae.
Vitara Garland ~ Aquarius ~ Vitara, or V as many call him, is the track star for the neighbouring public school and as such was always Arcann's friendly rival in the track meets. Vitara is the loud-mouthed, prank-playing, drug-peddling, bartender. He's a charming and incredibly charismatic guy, and does precisely what he wants despite what society or good taste might say. The only time he curbs his behavious is in the presence of his high-maintenance girlfriend, Masala. Best friends with Taro.
Yuca Cygnus ~ Gemini ~ Yuca, or Cygnus II Project, was an androgynous android built by the very scientists who created the Philosophers some 7 years after the original project was disbanded. Yuca was created to be human-enough to blend into human society to learn about emotions, but untainted by them himself so that he could make an objective report. No one thought he would be capable of learning to feel them himself.
Jyaae Finnery ~ Pisces ~ The nerdier cousin of Masala, Jyaae is cute, clumsy, friendly and bubbly in nature. she's beautiful, even though she doesn't do anything to dress herself up. She's intuitive and empathetic, allowing her to easily become friends with anyone she tries to. Holds a deep-seeded love for Taro, though he doesn't seem to notice.
Tierzah Juergens-Schwartz ~ Cancer ~ Tierzah is a little on the chubby side, but still sweet and pretty. She loves to bake, and gets easily flsutered. She's shy, introverted ad soft-spoken, easily the gentlest of the 12.
Mordraea Gonzales ~ Scorpio ~ Where Tierzah is shy and timid, Morda is in-your-face and tough. She's a hard-core man-hater, and is fantastically hawt, meaning she's had plenty of opportunity to beat the snot out of guys who didn't take the hint to back off. Morda's a chronic chain-smoker and uses her native spanish to pretend she doesn't speak english when people try to tell her to do things.
Masala Finnery ~ Taurus ~ The Glamourous cousin to Jyaae, and Vitara's girlfriend. Masala is rather material. She's a genuine friend, but she's very concerned with appearances, and has very expensive tastes. She takes Yuca under her wing and gets very protective of those she decides to set her eye on.
Sivee Parks ~ Virgo ~ The yonugest of the 12 by far, Sivee is a Mensa genius. Born to completely average parents, all of her siblings have become exceptional in someway. Sivee is logical, analytical, calculating and doesn't have a very good sense of humour. Having always far exceeded her peer group she's always had trouble maknig friends and doesn't really know how to relate to other people. In yuca she met her match, and the two have a steadfast and intimate relationship.
Casava Baker ~ Capricorn ~ Casava's a total tomboy, and generally doesn't like people thinking of her as female. Casava is also the least phased by the harsh changes they have to make, the war itself or relationships in general. Although her first few meetings with Ari got off to a rocky start,t hey are the best of friends by the end of things.
The Philosophers:
Samhain Veil ~ The Telepath ~ The enigmatic leader of the group, he was adopted by tabacco tycoon Eric Veil, and the man left the entire empire to his 16 year old son when he committed suicide. Samhain doubled the stock value of the company's shares in little more than a year and raised sales by 30% in his first year alone. Having completely thwarted the board of trustees who wanted to take the presidency away from him, Samhain now lives a wealthy existence, and funds his project for humanity's destruction on the side.
Mabon Strega ~ DNA Manipulation ~ Mabon was granted an amazing gift through the tampering of the Scientists. He could consciously change DNA structure. Meaning he could cure cancer and repair disease. Unfortunately Mabon naturally possessed a sadistic streak a mile wide and he instead delighted at seeing how many things he could tamper with before the body falls apart. He's Samhain's right hand man, personal bodyguard, and paid thug.
Lugnassah Lammas ~ Gravity Manipulation ~ Lugnassah's a big, burly, strong, and surprisingly gentle man. Lugnassah enjoys the finer things in life - opera, chess, gourmet cooking - and has remained single simply for the fact that his size intimidates most females that he's attracted to. Lugnassah is able to take on gravity to lift obscene amounts of weight, walk up walls and split the earth. He mostly tries to stay out of Samhain's plottings, but loves his little brother too mcuh to leave beltane in the lurch.
Beltane Roodmas ~ The Shapeshifter ~ The naturally pretty little beltane has an itneresting ability to manipulate his shape. He has to maintain the same mass, but he can compensate to small degrees by eating a lot and burning the undigested food as extra mass. With this ability, Samhain gets Beltane to do all sorts of work for him, getting in places he normally couldn't reach, and abducting people by sneeking beltane in behind enemy lines. The spineless half-brother to Lugnassah is hopelessly in lvoe with Samhain, but relies on Imbolc and Lugnassah for emotional and moral support.
Imbolc Cross ~ The Prophet ~ Imbolc has premonitions, usually when she's not expecting them. But these incredibly accurate insights have allowed Samhain to get as far as he has. She's a nice person, on the whole though, and once she makes friends with some of the 12 makes a ponit of warning them too.
Yule Night ~ The Impassive ~ Yule has complete control over the functions that are involuntary for normal humans - breathing, heart rate, sensitivity to heat and cold, and also can see spirits and ghosts. Yule has no love for humans, and find their dead counterparts par more interesting. She's helping Samhain if only to have more of her own to commune with and less noisey flesh-bearers walking the streets.
Ostara Eiler ~ Emotional Manipulation ~ Ostara has a freakish control over hormone production, merely through the touch of her skin on yours. She can make you feel anything she wants to. That isn't to say you'd believe it, but you'd be feeling all the effects of passion, hatred, fear, stress or any other hormone induced or exacerbated emotion. On the same token, she can stop you feeling something you're already in the throes of too, like Arius' love for Arcann, for instance. She's a cold-hearted Bitch.
Litha Alban ~ Seed Gardener ~ Litha is sweet and airy, seemingly good in a plot of darkness. Litha doesn't care one whit about humanity or civilization. She loves plants, and always had an affinity for them. If it weren't for her unique abilities growing the Elemental Seeds would have been quite impossible. She's just so happy to see these unique creatures grow that she doesn't care what sort of destruction the wreck.
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Empyreans:
The World: Long after World War Four, the Empyreans are the last remaining city against a world of monsters and their mortal enemies, The Outsiders. Having discovered long lost arts of magic, the Empyreans find themselves changed to reflect the nature of their souls, and it is for this coveted knowledge the Outsiders relentlessly pursue them. Sterile from the Outsider's weaponry, the Empyreans propegate their species by collecting Husks from the Outsiders and infusing them with Essence to make them into Stage Zero Empyreans. As the little Empyreans are taught to weild the magics of Empyrean City, they grow, and transform into often fantastical creatures. And while all this poetry of learning goes on within the gates, outside the War wages on...
The Story: Originally begun as an RPG on the website Gaia Online, Empyreans swiftly grew larger than I could have ever imagined. It became a full role playing game full of interactivity for the dedicated players who joined me and fell in love with this unique and richly detailed world. The plot is an ongoing one and continually formed and influenced by the actions and reactions of the players to various situations we throw at them.
The Characters: The player characters are rather numerous to detail, but here are the key NPCs:
Eleuthero ~ The oldest of the Empyreans alive today, Eleuthero is the Head Master of the White District as well as the Philosophy Professor. He's a Phlegmatic , and holds the position of Chorus.
Bellona ~ The most powerful magic user in Empyrean City, Bellona is the keystone for the Seraphim defenders of the City. She's also the Magical Theory Professora. She's a Melancholic Academic, and holds the position of Seraphim.
Abrid ~ Said to be the only magic user in Empyrean City who might possibly rival Bellona, Abrid is the Science Professor and was the inventor a large majority of the caster Shell technology the Empyreans use. He's a Choleric , and holds the position of Seraphim.
Nolan ~ Nolan is the largest Empyrean currently in Empyrean City, and is the co-ordinator of the City's Gatekeepers. He is also in charge of releasing Gate Passes for Husk Harvesting, Scouting and scavenging for supplies. He's a Sanguine Kinesthetic, and holds the position of Gatekeeper.
Ardys ~ Ardys is the City's Prophet, and is the most famous Echo the City has ever seen, along with Euphrasia. Ardys designed the Dreaming Pool to better facillitate skrying and fortune telling, and leads the Fortune Tellers of the City. He's a Phlegmatic , and holds the position of Chorus.
Euphrasia ~ Euphrasia is Ardys' Twin Sister, or Echo. She heads the Infirmary and runs the Apothecary on the side. She too is a Phlegmatic , and holds the position of Seraphim.
Gregor ~ The most talented of the Crafters in Empyrean City, Gregor is often on the wrong side of everyone, but his insight and skills are so prodigious, he could basically get away with murder. He runs the Weaponsmithery and is a Sangunie Journeyman. He holds the position of Grigori.
Sable ~ Sable leads the Hunters of Empyrean City. She has record-breaking amounts of Essence Exposure, and at any given time has anywhere from 6 to 8 Grigori tailing her to make sure that when she breaks under the strain of her Cursed status whatever form of Monster she mutates into can be subdued. She's a Melancholic Journeyman, and holds the position of Grigori.
Elias ~ Elias is the Astronomy Professor, and one of the most popular Duellists in the City. He's a , and holds the position of Grigori.
Dameron ~ Dameron is Elias' lover, and his duels with Elias always draw a huge crowd and great revenue. He's the Literature Professor. He's a Melancholic Academic, and holds the position of Grigori.
Kortus ~ Kortus is said to be the second biggest Empyrean in the City, and is the Crafting Professor. Kortus is a Choleric Kinesthetic, and holds the position of Gatekeeper.
Metro ~ Metro, a Minature Empyrean, runs the Technomagus Majore, adjacent to Gregor's Weaponsmithery. Metro is a great spreader of gossip, but generally well-liked. He's a Choleric Journeyman, and holds the position of Chorus.
Orrys ~ Orrys is the Physical Education teacher, and trains up a lot of the duellists. He's a Sanguine Kinesthetic and holds the position of Gatekeeper.
Tryna ~ Tryna is the Cooking Professora, and a brilliant Alchemist. She's the unusual combination of Sanguine Academic and is a Gatekeeper.
Lelaus ~ Lelaus is the youngest of the Professors, and teaches Animal Care. He oversees the Fauna Gardens, and trains the Monster trainers. He's a Sangunie Journeyman, and holds the position of Gatekeeper.
Requiem ~ Requiem is the City's head Librarian. Requiem oversees the book restoration and administers the Transcendence Exams. He's a Phlegmatic Academic, and holds the position of Chorus.
Lus ~ Lus is the Career's Officer, running the Apprentice's Bulletin Board, and assigning Jobs, apprenticeships and Housing Commissions. He deals very closely with Outsiders and scavenges everything from information to 'Shnappy'. He's a Sanguine Kinesthetic, and holds the position of Grigori.
Quenda ~ Quenda runs the Flora Gardens, and is Professora of Botany. She's a Choleric Kinesthetic, and holds the position of .
Tamerind ~ Tamerind is the second-oldest Empyrean in the City, and is their Historian, History Professor to the Zeroes as well. Tamerind is a Choleric Kinesthetic, and holds the position of Chorus.
Bardane ~ Bardane is the Law Professor and runs the Senate. He's a Phlegmatic Journeyman and holds the position of Chorus.
Raelyn ~ Raelyn is the Art Professora. She is one of the City's senior Golem Incubation Technicians. She's a Academic, and holds theposition of Seraphim.
Melonia ~ Melonia is the potent Rhetoric Professora. She's a Grigori and heads the Servitum. She's a Sanguine Journeyman.
Paxar ~ Paxar is the Mathematics Professor, and has a severe Broken Status. So long as his nails keep twitching all is well, but as soon as he focusses too strongly on any one thing, he can inadvertently kill the target of his focus. Paxar is a Phlegmatic Journeyman and a member of the Chorus.
Nehna ~ Nehna is the leading Bard in the City, and is the Music Professora. She's a Phlegmatic Academic and a Seraphim.
Vanga ~ Vanga is the only Albino Empyrean currently in the City. Albinos are those who do not take to a particular Alignment, but instead absorb a little of each. Vanga takes on the characteristics and tendancies of those overwhelming Empyreans around him. He fluctuates his additions and they are always Limited. Vanga is the keeper of the Restricted History and the Esoteric Laws.
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