Title: To Dust Return

I. Settinga. Continent: Aithe, a dying land. Once a continent of magnificence, opulence, and

adventure, a slow decay has taken root.b. Capital city: Euna, the last large stronghold of the continent’s populace; even this

city is half in ruin from neglect and the inexplicable diminution of its populace.i. The Fortress: the inner sanctuary of the city where the rich and noble

have sequestered themselves, turning a blind eye to the struggling outside.

c. Ruins: Dotting the landscape of Aithe are the ruins of other once-great cities known for trade, culture, and beauty

d. The Forest of Sidue: A legendary wood far to the west of Euna, with growing rumors suggesting it may be haunted. The creeping sickness that has spread throughout the land has its origins in the evil that lies within.

II. Creatures and Races

a. Humans: The most prevalent race on the continent; very concerned with class and social stature; population is centered around Euna and some outlying farms, though some are still rumored to live in the wilder areas, eking out a living just outside of the Forest of Sidue

i. Nobility: Typically vain and self-centered; the descendants of greater kin; primarily concerned with comfort; the ruling class

ii. Merchants: A growing segment of the population, the only real threat to the nobility; fall into two categories: the wandering peddlers and the established town shops; realists full of practicality, a surprising source of hope, leadership, and bravery for the dwindling populace

iii. Commoners: Farmers, laborers; typically poor but not necessarily uneducated

iv. Clergy: “Spiritual” leaders, they claim to be set apart from the rest of the population but tend to latch on to the nobility or the upper crust of the merchant class

b. The Fae: A general classification used to describe a variety of creatures that are able to use magic; tend to fall into two broad factions

i. Dark Fae: The only known inhabitants of the Forest of Sidue, the Dark Fae are known to attack unwary travelers and are suspected for many disappearances of those who try to cross the Forest

ii. Light Fae: Uncommon but not entirely unknown, Light Fae live among humans. They have dwindled as a race more than humans, with only a few left that are able to perform even rudimentary magic; rumors suggest the dissipation in magic ability has to do with the decision to dwell among humans

III. Main Characters

a. Saena: The heroine; half of the story will be written first-person point-of-view from her perspective; Saena is the youngest daughter of an honorable, well-to-do traveling merchant named Silam; the family travels between Euna and the outskirts of the Forest regularly; Saena has an elder sister named Phana who is mainly concerned with becoming a member of the Nobility; Saena enjoys the life of the traveling merchant, but her father impresses upon her the importance of finding the source of decay in the land and stopping it

b. Aerim: The hero; half of the story will be written first-person point-of-view from his perspective; a Commoner living outside the Forest, Aerim is human, but he is also something more, which his secretive father, Thaeri, refuses to explain; Aerim meets Saena while she is traveling through his land and helps to escort her father’s caravan through some bandit-infested areas; he learns of their desire to find the source of the decay and vows to join the quest; in the process, he learns about his Fae heritage and that he possesses the key to saving the populace

IV. Themes

a. Finding romance in unlikely placesb. Coming of age and learning how to leave home and family to find a new lifec. Good vs. evil: Discovery that the line is not always clear and how to make the

right decisions despite that fact

V. Challengesa. Physical: Saena primarily faces the physical challenges; as a traveling

merchant’s daughter, she has learned to fight; she faces the Dark Fae but suffers weakness in her mental defenses against their magic; Aerim learns to fight from Saena and helps her learn to defend herself mentally

b. Magical: Aerim is surprisingly resilient to magic and discovers his growing powers as he and Saena venture into the Forest to investigate their foe and find the root to the decay of the land; he must ultimately confront the truth that his mother was a Dark Fae and was responsible for introducing a sickness to the human race

VI. Conclusion

a. Aerim and Saena confront Aerim’s mother and defeat her, but the wheels are set in motion and they must find a way to stop the coming battle with the Dark Fae to save the human race.