Send her home

Lady Eruwaedhiel · **Posted:** January 10th, 2013, 7:25 pm

Ok. My human MC Arionwyn is in Laecla, land of the elves, after fleeing there to escape the men who were after her and her dragon. It's a very isolated and very rich country. However, her home country is at war, Laecla refuses to help them, and she knows she should go back. Fairivel, ruler of Laecla, has offered to let her stay - she would have everything she ever wanted, an opportunity to train with some of the best magic-users alive, access to the best of whatever, you name it. Her two companions both tell her different things. She eventually decides to go back to her home country, which is depending on her, but I need something definitive to happen the night before she has to tell the ruler her answer.

Trouble is, I don't know what.

I thought maybe the night before, there is a ball or a feast of some sort in the palace - sort of a subtle way for the ruler to say to Wyn "here, look at what you'll be missing." I thought maybe something could happen then. But I don't know if a ball should be the event, since someone mentioned that it was "well-worn" or what should happen. Any thoughts?

RunningWolf · **Posted:** January 11th, 2013, 6:09 pm

Do they ever have competitions with magic and stuff? It sounds like your MC is tempted by getting to train with those magic-users. What if there was a competition of some sort where she got to see just what sort of things she could learn if she stayed?

Aratrea · **Posted:** January 11th, 2013, 7:10 pm

Maybe if she has any living relatives, she gets some message from them asking her to come back, and it stirs her enough that she is compelled to help them?

Lady Eruwaedhiel · **Posted:** January 11th, 2013, 7:23 pm

Good thoughts, Lycan, Aratrea. The competition is a thought, but I'm not sure if she's tempted so much by the magic training as the...well, the peace. Laecla, as I've said, is very isolated and is practically never threatened due to the powerful magic protecting it. She hates the war and the turmoil, but her sense of duty pulls her back to fight.

She actually doesn't have any relatives, mostly because I was locked into the Disney orphan protagonist type when I started it, and it's never changed.

RunningWolf · **Posted:** January 12th, 2013, 5:03 pm

Hmm...*nods* That makes sense. So you need something definitively peaceful to happen. XD I'm afraid I can't think of anything, at least not without more details.

Maybe something from her culture will make something somewhat normal definitive to her.

Lady Eruwaedhiel · **Posted:** January 12th, 2013, 5:49 pm

Maybe I could play on the elves' dislike of humans. Or maybe I could bring out the way the elves disdain the idea of helping the humans.

Kiev Shawn · **Posted:** January 12th, 2013, 5:55 pm

*nods* Something that triggers her sense of duty to her homeland and people...

Firieth Mimetes · **Joined:** January 6th, 2013, 2:06 pm **Posts:** 35

Just to clarify, is the definitive thing that happens something that confirms her decision to leave, or makes her waver and second guess her choice?

If it's the latter, how about a potentially disastrous confrontation at a feast? The feast is a special seasonal event, similar to a harvest celebration. Perhaps a neighbouring tribe enters with a dispute, or a cultural rule of some kind is broken? But then, when she thinks all will turn ugly and it will end in swords drawn for battle, they resolve the issue peacefully, and the feast continues jovially. This makes her consider staying, but then it strikes her that SHE could be the one to bring this kind of peace to her own land....??

RunningWolf · **Posted:** January 12th, 2013, 7:47 pm

Eleutheria Mimetes wrote:

Maybe I could play on the elves' dislike of humans. Or maybe I could bring out the way the elves disdain the idea of helping the humans.

*nods* I think those both sound like good solutions.

Lady Eruwaedhiel · **Posted:** January 12th, 2013, 8:11 pm

Firieth Mimetes wrote:

Just to clarify, is the definitive thing that happens something that confirms her decision to leave, or makes her waver and second guess her choice?

If it's the latter, how about a potentially disastrous confrontation at a feast? The feast is a special seasonal event, similar to a harvest celebration. Perhaps a neighbouring tribe enters with a dispute, or a cultural rule of some kind is broken? But then, when she thinks all will turn ugly and it will end in swords drawn for battle, they resolve the issue peacefully, and the feast continues jovially. This makes her consider staying, but then it strikes her that SHE could be the one to bring this kind of peace to her own land....??

That's an excellent argument for both sides.

The thing that happens was actually supposed to confirm her decision to leave.

Firieth Mimetes · **Joined:** January 6th, 2013, 2:06 pm **Posts:** 35

How about something more subtle, like the gradual realisation as she looks around and absorbs the rich and lavish surroundings, and someone makes a derogatory comparative comment about her homeland, and it just strikes a nerve in her. Why shouldn't her homeland, the place which runs through her blood and is a part of her, know this kind of peace and luxury? Perhaps she has one special place at home that she likes to visit on her own? Maybe she remembers that place and knows it can happen, her home can know that peace because she gets it there.

Send her home

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