PLOTS. IDEAS. STORY LINES. STARTING POINTS.
ADVENTURE
AN ADVENTURE FOR THE AGES ancient history rome / pompeii After the great earthquake in 62 A.D., Pompeii has been on shaky ground, quite literally. The volcano grumbles from time to time, but nothing compares to the earthquake that very nearly destroyed the city. With the Vinalia Festival on the horizon, one of the three festivals meant to honor the Gods and help their crops grow in the off-seasons, the volcano is grumbling even more than before. Tiny earthquakes are starting to put cracks in the villas high in the mountains nearest the volcano and while most of the citizens think little of it, others believe it is an omen. Of those with worry in their hearts, a small team begins to form. There has been talk, stories passed down for generations, of a great creature with the power to calm the volcano that lives in the mountains beyond. It is a long and dangerous trek, but it may be the only chance they have to keep their city safe from the destruction an eruption is promised to cause. Pompeii is still rebuilding from the Great Earthquake seventeen years before: an eruption from Mt. Vesuvius would be sure to destroy the city for good. With a plan in their minds, the group agrees to set off on the quest, determined to save their city, their home, and the thousands of citizens that believe nothing is wrong. After all, as long as they honor the Gods as they always have, what could possibly go wrong? Surely, the Gods wouldn’t punish those that had never done any wrong?
A BARRIER APART
urban fantasy Long ago, a war broke out between the fey and humans. In response, the fey retreated into a realm of their own creation, taking the magic they had shared with humans with them. For decades, the magical barrier that protect them held. The fey remained in a world surrounded by magic, a land of lush greenery and magic with little need to grow. The human realm continued to advance through both technology and science until their abilities in those mechanical fields were practically magic. As the years went by, the magic, so painstakingly created to place a barrier between the worlds, began to wither. As it failed, fey and humans alike fell through the rifts in the magic, lost to their homes. Without the barrier, the two worlds would eventually collide, until a seer proclaimed that now was the time of the prophecy: a fey would willingly enter the human realm to find the last of the sorcerers, the kin to those that had originally erected the wall, and renew the magic. With time running out and the fate of the fey unknown, many entered the human’s world to find the sorcerer, the last of a long line, trapped on the wrong side of the barrier when it was created. With their help, there was no doubt to the Seelie and Unseelie courts that their world couldn’t be saved. There was no doubt that their fragile peace could remain. They just needed the Willing and the Savior to end the quickly onsetting destruction.
THE GODS RETURN
mythological post apocalyptic The old Gods, those that ruled the Earth and had religions created in their name(s) centuries ago, returned to the earth. In an awesome display of their power, they laid waste to the earth, proved themselves to be formidable, worthy of devotion, and forgotten no more. They were never to be forgotten, left to fade from mortal minds and spoken of as if they were nothing more than a foolish civilization’s salvation. Angry with this slight, they could no longer stand by. They once ruled the earth, and they intended to do so again. After laying waste to nearly all those who were not their own descendants, it was now time for the mortals to bow down to them, or try to take back control of their world. Will they fall to their knees and worship these returning Titans? Will they band together and fight, trying to banish them back to the realms from which they came? Will they climb Mt. Olympus to take back the world they believe to be their own? Will the join ranks with their ancestors and rule over those that remain with an iron fist? Or will they just try to survive in a world that is now nothing like that they grew up in? A Side Note: This could be any and all of the “Old Gods.” Including Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Mayan, Aztec, Native American, etc… We can follow the line of a single mythos, all of them at once, or pick and choose those we're more knowledgeable about.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ALIENS science fiction Long ago, the people of Earth worshipped Gods. They were written into history as the reason for survival, but as the Earth continued on, the Gods disappeared and became nothing more than mythology, learned for hobby and interest, but never taken seriously. Eventually, the Earth was on its last leg, natural resources all but gone and overrun with people that had the will to survive, but not the means. In a last ditch effort to preserve what was left of humanity, NASA and the other remaining countries’ space programs developed a plan to send a group of people into space, particularly chosen for their knowledge, abilities, and contribution to humankind. Placed under cryofreeze in deep space, they traveled for nearly a century in search of another planet that would be able to sustain life. What they found when they landed wasn't what they expected. What they found was a planet, extreme in its climate with a proportion much larger than that of Earth. It was sustainable indeed, but where one thing seemed oversized, so was the rest of the planet. With a little investigation from the team that had touched down, it appeared that the planet was overrun with giants. Could these giants, advanced in their technology, have been the Gods that had abandoned earth so many centuries ago? Optional Plot #1 The Gods, for what else were they to call them, were none too pleased with the intrusion into their paradise. They took up arms against those humans that they once used as pawns in their own games, and some of those that they had protected. With desperation to save their own planet pushing them to find a sustainable place to set up a new home, does the team stay and fight or flee to find another planet? Optional Plot #2 The radiation during travel caused the team’s cells to change and morph, giving them mutations and abilities during their long sleep. Some good, some bad, and all of them will be needed if they're to fight against the old Gods and find their way back to their crashed ship. Will they try to fight, or escape the strange Gods' planet? |
crime
CEMENT SHOES ARE SO LAST SEASON modern crime When you enter the mob, you are expected to obey by their rules. Takeovers are hostile, death is inevitable, and you have to be willing to get a little bloody if you ever expect to gain in the ranks. This is what you learn from television, movies, and literature -- and honestly, they’re not that far off. In your standard mob versus mob plot, the leader of the Vetrov clan, the ones that have their hands in every illicit arms deal in Chicago, has something that the Zhirov clan, the ones that revel in the world of narcotics and human trafficking, considers their property, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it back. What is this item, you may ask? Is it something tangible, like money, or something intangible, like dignity or pride? It’s tangible, but it’s also the least expected: a son, kidnapped in a hostile takeover over two decades ago and rumored to be dead... Raised as their own, it's the darkest secret that the Vetrov's have. Now, twenty years later, the lost boy is spotted in a routine raid. Now that the secret is out and he knows the truth, he will stop at nothing to exact his revenge on the Vetrov's for all the lies. A war has begun, but who will win?
ILLEGAL WARFARE AND LOVE modern crime romeo & juliet If Romeo and Juliet could do it, then why can’t we? In your classic star-crossed lovers plot, rivaling gang members have formed an companionship. Their families are fighting for what they feel is no reason at all, just a decades-old grudge match to see who can keep up appearances the longest. Under the assumption that it is nothing more than an old grudge, they become fast friends beneath their families’ noses. This works to their advantage as a third player is added into the mix, another rivaling gang that forces the two families to work together against an up-and-coming power. The unexpected partnership between the two families is suddenly broken after it is discovered that these friendships were cemented before the alliance was formed. This new discovery pits the two families against each other once more and all three families are suddenly against each other, creating a war among the gangs that is certainly one for the books. How will it end? Will the star-crossed lovers leave the "family business" for good, or will their own friendship be enough to convince their families to set aside their differences long enough to push out this new power on their turf? With the turf war getting worse and worse, will the government be forced to step in to curb the violence? The possibilities are endless, and just how deep are we willing to go?
YOU SHOULD BE DEAD
modern cat & mouse The idea is simple: assassin and target. The assassin, someone that joined the "family business" after high school. The target, someone that joined up with the military out of school. Both climbed the ranks, in their own way, both on opposite ends of the spectrum. Now, they're meeting again, but the situation is anything but a high school reunion. Throughout the years, the assassin has built up a reputation for being one of the best, and they are not about to let their record slip... until they realize just who their target is. Years later, can they really take out a hit on someone that used to be their friend? In a twist of fate, the assassin slips up. Their identity is revealed, and the roles are reversed. Now they're on the run, trying to avoid getting caught by the very person they were originally charged to kill. But will the once-target be able to bring the assassin in to justice or will they, like the assassin, be unable to effectively end the life of someone that was once their friend? It's up to them to find a way to make things right. Will one kill the other before they, themselves, can be killed? Will they rekindle an old flame and protect each other? Or will everything happen as it should, with the killer brought to justice despite old ties of friendship?
RUN WITH IT
historical / 1920s In the 1920s, prohibition was the talk of the town. Speakeasies were infamous gathering places, flappers were the height of fashion, and more people than most were involved in illicit activities. Those with money and those without mingled in society and at great parties hosted in large mansions. It was the era of jazz and dancing, of cultural revolution, and economic growth. Even with alcohol made illegal, that hardly stopped people from getting their hands on it. With people making it themselves, runners transporting it in progressively more and more creative ways, it seemed like the fun would never stop. It was an era of elaborate parties, mingling guest lists, and in New York City, a city of dreams. People came from across the country for the chance to become a star. They would do anything to be put on screen and got into plenty of terrible situations as a side effect of their desperation. The opportunity for characters, motivation, and chaos is there. We could have characters that are booze-runners, ones living in mansions, ones running speakeasies. Actors, actresses, aspiring hopefuls, screenwriters... It was an era ripe with creativity, making the world our oyster. I would love to turn this into a plot that is more of an odd pairing, or something that really takes advantage of the time and era. Bonus points if you can manage both. This plot is in the "crime" section because of the opportunity to really bring prohibition and the lengths people went to to the forefront of the game. |
DYSTOPIAN
THE ABSENCE OF COLOR
post apocalyptic The freedom of expression causes free thought. Free thought leads to curiosity, which leads to insubordination. Insubordination leads to crime, which leads to war. War leads to destruction. We don't want to cause another war, do we? We don't want to ruin everything that we have worked so hard to bring back after WWIII, do we? No, we don't. Freedom of expression leads to destruction. It was the mantra drilled into everyone's heads. The mantra that children grew up reciting, the new pledge of allegiance, the new rite of passage. Everyone was expected to know the consequences, to understand why things like art and music were outlawed, why museums and libraries were burnt to the ground or sitting in states of disrepair. For a while, this was accepted. For a while, this new form of society moved through rebuilding what had been destroyed in WWIII, but there was only so much to repair. Eventually, they ran out of things that needed to be fixed and the citizens grew restless. Eventually, a secret movement began. People were drawing, people were singing, creativity was running through the veins of the city. There was happiness once more, and that was something the government didn't want to see. The mantra was written on walls in the town squares. People found to be making art were publicly executed. They became martyrs for the movement. A Resistance had begun.
BOTTLED EMOTIONS
science fiction post-modern The United States have fallen, WWIII made sure of that. The “Great Cities” of the states -- New York, Chicago, Los Angeles -- are in ruins, and the smaller cities are no better off. The attacks had started at the most populated and slowly gotten to the smaller cities and towns until nothing was left. The Great Cities are rebuilding with Chicago at its head where a new government is forming, totalitarian and great, iron in its rule. No one is above the law, everyone is below it. As the government grows stronger, the people grow weaker. The government has a new take on controlling its people. Thanks to technological advancement, scientists found a way to shut down part of the limbic system, effectively cutting off emotion with no side effects on the memory. Emotions come in a bottle, rationed out to the people by the government, sold like drugs in an underground market. Addictions run rampant. The government is already collapsing, and things are only made worse when suddenly, people are beginning to show signs of emotion. At first, they're ostracized, pushed away from society, thought of as freaks for feeling without the necessary drugs. Soon, the government steps in and considers these people dangerous: they start disappearing and people stop admitting that they can feel. A rebellion is starting to brew, threatening to take on the government and restore everyone to how they once were, how they were intended to be. A utopia can only last as long as everyone is happy and that bubble is slowly beginning to pop.
DARWIN WAS RIGHT
fantasy post apocalyptic After the nuclear bombs dropped, the earth was a waste, lands left waiting to be claimed, devoid of any population. In just a short amount of time following the blasts, the nuclear winter set in and the earth very nearly came into another ice age. Now, the thaw has begun and people are relearning how to survive, sans the modern marvels that they were once used to. Tribes are forming, rudimentary governments and systems to help those still living come to terms with the world they have left. However, the radiation from the bombs affected those that remained and their children to come in an unexpected way. Mutations, abilities... In a great display of Darwinism at it's finest they were born with adaptations meant to help them survive the harsh new terrain. Not everyone is so lucky, and those with mutations are either ostracized or held with reverence, depending on the tribe and the area of the world they are born into. With some of the larger tribes trying to impose their rule on the smaller ones and battles breaking out among them, who will come out on top? Will the “mutants” join in the fight, or flee? Will they be pushed aside, or will they be forced into hiding, waiting until the aftermath decides their fate?
TELEVANGELISM: THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL post apocalyptic The world ended in a cacophony of natural disasters that killed millions, leaving the rest to cower in terror at what had become of the world. When the initial scrabbling over provisions ended, it was time to rebuild. It was the church that led the charge, claiming Rapture and promising that the same fate would not befall those that remained as long as they followed the laws and scriptures of the church. When the second Rapture came, those that believed would be taken to the gates of heaven, leaving only the lawless behind. For a time, people went along with it. They believed, perhaps naively, that the Devout were correct, that it was their unwavering sin that had brought the world to its knees and killed so many. Slowly, though, the tide of mind began to change. More and more people began to think that perhaps, just maybe, the Devout were beginning to become corrupt. Fearing rebellion, the Devout made an example of those that had been most outspoken with their dissent. These were the first Heathens. Over time, more joined them, but the grasp the Devout had on their citizens got tighter. Curfews were imposed, people were being watched, brainwashed, incarcerated… Anyone believed to be helping the Heathens were suddenly under fire: the Devout were afraid of the rebels they themselves had created. The fought the Heathens back to the edges of their city, but they were still there. They were on the news: a stolen shipment here, another household left abandoned, another high-profile captive suspiciously freed. No where was safe from the Heathens' grasp, and it had the Devout running scared. |
FANTASY
A GAME OF CHANCE
high fantasy historical / medieval Late into the two-hundred and forty-fourth summer of Queen Madb, the High Druidic Council called forth its members from each corner of the Celtic rule, from Greece - where they were called Keltoi - to Turkey, and all the isles of Europa and Brittany. Their purpose was grave: to upheave the courts of the Sidhe, both Seelie and Unseelie, of summer and of winter. The queen lay dying, and the courts were in chaotic disarray, each day more fae becoming nomadic or falling victim to the wild whims of another. No law, no order. It was as though they were to be cast into eternal winter, all the chaos of the Unseelie court spreading like a virus within the court of light. The task ahead would not be a pleasant one, nor would it be diplomatic. Both the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha de Dannan had left traces of their people scattered throughout the lands, and it had been decided that these resources should not be put to waste. Each council member would choose a representative from their province, male and female in equal parts, Seelie and Unseelie, so that they might rebuild the monarchy from scratch. One for the Seelie, another for the Unseelie, wed and bound together in a show of unity between the courts, binding them all the same in a hope for harmony among the races. The Celts had once been renowned for their warriors. It was high time this was held to standard once more…
CELESTIAL WARFARE
fantasy post-apocalyptic The demons and angels have been at war for quite literally eons, fighting in what the humans believed was the war of good against evil; a war to keep the demons out of the safety and sanctity of heaven, a war to protect the humans from the depravity and wickedness of the demons. Religions, human wars, and cultures had been started over these celestial wars for centuries. Recently, they brought their war to earth, fire and darkness against light. Slowly, as the war has waged on, destroying vast plains of the earth, the perception of good and evil began to shift. While the demons protect the humans, the flawed creatures that live upon the earth, it is the angels that mow down the inhabitants of earth in their attempt to take control of the war and eradicate the demons from existence. Demons are losing their lives left and right, their numbers far greater than that of the angels, stepping in to protect the humans, finding groups to watch over while they fight the angels and try to drive them back into the heavens. Perhaps it was the angels that were evil all along? They were the ones that claimed themselves divine, that hid their true natures, that demanded reverence and awe. The demons had never once lied about what they were, never hid their darkness from the world. Which side would you take in a war between the great celestial beings and the creatures that live beneath the earth?
SO MUCH FOR PEACE
fantasy post apocalyptic A fae-versus-human war has all but destroyed the world. Ages old, the humans hoped to eradicate the fae, sending them back to their own realm. The fae, angry at this slight, retaliated tenfold. They were creatures of the earth before the humans drove them from their forests and glens and they were lenient then. They would not be so kind this time around, not when their very existence was being threatened. Although they’re currently in peacetime, the armistice that both sides have signed is dodgy at best. The unrest on both sides has battles breaking out among the higher-ups and nobles, it is the poverty-stricken that come together. With little to lose, they have started forming bonds with their neighbors, both fae and human alike. There is no divide among them; everyone does their part and helps out those who need it that they can aid. Unlike their leaders, there is little understanding as to why they are still fighting a war that has been waging so long that the true reason for its instigation is lost. The insufferable war has gone on long enough and the farce of a peace treaty is barely holding back long-standing grudges. A rebellion against the very core of their government has begun to start, both sides working together to bring this glorified civil war to a final conclusion. Will the rebels succeed, or will they be destroyed by the very government that is meant to be “protecting” them?
VAMPIRES SUCK (LITERALLY) modern supernatural Vampires, gang wars, and kidnapping -- oh, my! Two of these three things make sense together: vampires and kidnapping, gang wars and kidnapping. What doesn't make sense is vampires and gang wars, but that's where we're going with this. Before you're thinking what the heck?, bear with me and hear me out. The idea is that everything is broken down into three groups. The classical vampires that prey on humans to survive, the vampires trying to integrate themselves with the humans and coexist, and the slayers that hunt the vampires that prey on humans. Rather than focus on trying to take down the entire establishment as a whole, the slayers have been trying to take the head off the enemy, so to speak, and want to kill the leader of the classical vampires. When the classical vampires learn of this plot, they decide to take matters into their own hands. In a quick turnaround, they kidnap the sibling (or other connecting factor) of one of the slayers to make them put a hold on their efforts. Believing that they will be able to ransom the captured human for the slayers' agreement to leave them be, they put forth the agreement and wait for an answer. What they didn't expect, however, was for the slayers to be willing to lose one for the benefit of many. Left alone with no rescue in sight (of course a rescue is being planned, but that's a moot point at this spot in the plot), the captured human decides to take matters into their own hand and barter with the vampires for their freedom. The vampire leader has other plans for them, however, and the plot goes open-ended from there... (Lololol, I've had this plot for over eight years and it's very vaguely based off of this video.) |
love
THE FLOOR IS LAVA
ancient history rome / pompeii A brief history lesson... In February of 62 AD, Pompeii was hit with a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that leveled half the city. Statues shattered, livestock was lost to the rifts in the earth, building fell upon themselves, and nearly a quarter of the city's occupants lost their lives. The resounding quake caused a fast-moving tsunami that destroyed a years' worth of grain and cargo as well as a port in Rome. The process to rebuild was slow and the demographic and economic profile of the city changed: the wealthy left and merchants moved in. It was devastation that they city had still only partially recovered from when, 17 years later, the countryside was buried beneath ash. In August of 79 AD, the now-famous eruption from Mount Vesuvius all but eradicated the entire city of Pompeii, as well as neighboring cities such as Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabia. For three days, Vesuvius pummeled the city with pumice and debris. Clouds of low-lying toxic gas killed hundreds and ash fell at an alarming rate, accumulating rapidly in the streets and on rooftops, forcing many to collapse under the weight. Those that managed to escape their homes found that the rivers and sea were impossible to traverse, much of the debris (like pumice stone, which floats) clogging the waterways. Those that remained in the city and surrounding areas were killed instantly by the pyroclastic flows that followed. End of the history lesson, beginning of the idea... The starting point is somewhere between 62 and 79 AD, after the earthquake but before the eruption. A nobleman's daughter and a gladiator (and/or slave) have fallen in love and are trying to find a way to escape and be together. The story would have three parts, in theory: falling in love, planning the escape, and the eruption of Vesuvius. All good things must come to an end, and it depends on us to know if they escape the city and survive the blast or if they die in each others' arms, buried beneath three dozen feet of ash and frozen together for eternity.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS ARE WEIRD urban supernatural Almost all little kids end up having an imaginary friend at some point. Someone to keep them company and play with when their parents are unavailable or they don’t have many friends of their own. There's an idea that little kids can see more spectrums than adults, and it's a tentative explanation that, because of this, they can see ghosts. What if we all had "imaginary friends" that were ghosts? Not necessarily ghosts, but reapers - grims - souls stuck in purgatory that often aren't thought about. As we grow, we forget them and they fade from our minds. Guardian angels, meant to keep an eye on the humans that they protect... but what if not everyone loses the so-called sight? There are mediums that can see souls, what if they are simply kids that grew up and never forget their imaginary friends? What if they do what they can to help souls pass on through purgatory after seeing what that inability to pass on had done to their friends? After seeing their desolation at knowing they would watch the world change but never be able to affect it. Until someone can touch the other realm and pull people back. A miracle worker, but all rights, but someone that is giving those stuck souls a second chance. They suddenly have a chance to redeem themselves in a world that they know longer know. An imaginary friend no more. An immortal soul that has been around for the passage of time, whose friends and family are long gone, but won't let their second chance go to waste: starting with helping the person they've been guarding since they were young.
WHEN TIME STOPS
modern with recurring flashbacks You've met throughout the ages. You've come together time and time again in different bodies, with different memories, but one thing is the same: you always find each other. In every era, in every past life, you always find each other only to be torn apart in some tragic way. When the earth was young, you were in Rome -- you were a gladiator, she was a commoner. There was no way to be together, but you knew you were in love. You saw each other across the field in battle in the Viking ages. Time flew by: The Renaissance, the Elizabethan era, the French Revolution, American Civil War, Industrial Revolution, the Victorian Era, the World Wars... And now. Every time, something brought you apart. Every time, you found each other just to lose each other once again. A lost love throughout the ages, never with a happy ending. One of you, gone too soon. One of you, pulled apart by politics and war. One of you, married off at an early age. Now, in modern times, you have new hope. With medical advances and the average lifespan up, the number of arranged marriages and accidental deaths down... You think that maybe, just maybe, this time you have a chance. This time you'll be able to grow old together, this time you'll know what it is you've been missing out on... for centuries.
REDEMPTION HAS MANY FORMS historical / vikings mythological The Vikings were a crew known for ruthless behavior, raucous laughter, and celebrating their achievements. They came like a wave into the lands and took what they wanted with no regard for those in their way. They took pride in what they did and worshiped the Gods that granted them good favor and aided them in their path toward glory. It was one thing for the Vikings to be ruthless: it was another for a Valkyrie. One of Odin's once-favorite souls, the long years in battle, ferrying hapless lives to the other side, had made her just as merciless as most hard-hearted of the Viking warriors. More Berserker than Valkyrie, she forgot her place and was feared for her own prowess in battle, doing more than her job description entailed. Upset with her for losing her way, Odin cast her out. Mortal, she fell. She joined the ranks of the Vikings, quickly making a name for herself as a skilled warrior in battle and an equally brilliant tactician when it came to helping plan their raids. In the back of her mind, there was a nagging reminder that she only had a handful of years to redeem herself in Odin's eyes, to find the mortal piece of her soul that she had lost along the way, to regain her entrance to Valhalla. And that, my friends, is where a second character comes into play. A warrior with a kind heart that can help her redeem herself, someone to show her what it means to be human while they fight their way through raids and battles and bring glory to their names. |