This is an idea I came up with decades ago. It's been stuck in my
head for a long time, and I've been refining it and coming up with new
ideas for years, but, by this point, it's just a distraction. I've
reached the point where it's very unlikely I'll ever make anything of
this, and I want to clear some head space, so I wrote everything I ever
thought about it down, and, hopefully, I can stop thinking about it. I
am sharing it with you, the world, and am allowing and encouraging you
to do what you'd like with it. Want to finish it? Create fanart?
Fanfiction? Do you think you can make it an actual TV show? Be my guest.
I'm done with it. You can use this in any way you see fit without
asking permission, as long as you don't claim it's your own idea. And,
if you do make something with it, it's not required, but I'd appreciate
the credit "Based on an Idea By: Zachary Christensen" somewhere. Enjoy,
and I hope this is put to use in some way.
Also,
I apologize for the grammatical problems and rushed nature of the
writing. Most of this was completely stream of consciousness and just an
attempt to get everything in my head down in text. I hope you still
find some quality in it.
Premise: Kellyanda is the story about a girl who finds herself trapped on, and having to save, an alien bird planet. At the start of her story, Kellyanda is on a boat trip(possibly cruise) with her family, where she's not too excited about her situation. But her situation changes quickly when a storm suddenly springs up around the boat, sending bolts of lightning seemingly aimed straight the ship. The ship sinks, and Kellyanda is thrown overboard, where one of the bolts strikes the clear crystal pendant she wears around her neck. A vortex of many swirling colors occurs, and the next thing she knows, she's near an unfamiliar shore in the middle of a rainstorm. She swims to shore and finds a large house overlooking the water. She knocks on the door, asking if anyone is there, but receives no answer. The door turns out to be unlocked, so, not wanting to wander off during a storm in a place she doesn't know, she walks in, lies down on the couch, and soon falls asleep. After several hours, the occupants of the house come back after a long business meeting. ...And they aren't human. One is a six-foot-tall eagle carrying a staff with a large red gemstone embedded in the top. The other is a reptilian humanoid covered in green scales with a dragon's head and clawed toes, wearing a crossbow and bolt holder. Both are dressed in upper-class casual wear similar to the Renaissance era, though neither wear shoes or hats. As they walk into their house, they are shocked to find Kellyanda sleeping on their couch, which wakes up Kellyanda, who is shocked to see two alien beings standing in front of her. ...To say the least. When the screaming finally quiets down, hysterical questions are answered to the best of everyone's current ability, and the eagle and draconian introduce themselves respectively as Mage and Draco, they take her to the palace the next morning, where they're granted an audience with Princess Eaglet, the teenage regent of the empire's constitutional monarchy. Everyone is shocked to see a human, and there's a rush to find out WHY there's a human in their land. Eventually, the answer is found in a book of prophecies, stating that she is the "chosen one" to save the world from the return of Mordrea, an evil reptilian sorceress who, many centuries ago, nearly wiped out the sentient bird species completely. She is immortal and cannot be killed by any conventional means, but the sorceror Remus(pronounced RAY-MOOSE), the only other human to appear in Eagleworld, drained most of her power into a crystal pendant and placed her in a magical slumber for a thousand years. With Mordrea taken care of for the moment, Remus began overseeing the construction of an incredibly powerful sword that would be the only thing that could put an end to the sorceress. And, to make sure it was only used for that one purpose, it could only be wielded by a human. But the materials were so hard to find and work with, that when the sword was finally completed, Remus was too old to hold it. Realizing the immense power and value the sword still held, he ordered it split into four pieces, each section guarded by a different chaotic monster, then sent the pendant hurdling through space and time until it found the "chosen one" worthy of finding and wielding the sword to slay Mordrea. That savior apparently being Kellyanda. ...Much disbelief is expressed in the court. Kellyanda wants nothing to do with anything, saying her pendant is just something her dad found for her at a flea market, and she tries to take it off. ...But is unable to do so, the pendant steadfastly refusing to be unclasped or even wrenched off. Still nobody believes that the prophecy has any weight to it, but with Kellyanda's arrival, events are set into motion and Mordrea awakens from her seemingly eternal slumber in her hidden magical tower. Mordrea herself is curious if the prophecy has begun, and, still too weak to use magic to her fullest extent, still manages to locate Kellyanda through her omniscient magical mirror, releasing a monster she had prepared for the purpose of luring out the "chosen one" into the capital city. Kellyanda's first battle begins, and while she's unable to fight back, we see how equipped Mage and Draco are to defend her, with Mage knowing an arsenal of offensive magic he channels through his gemstone staff, and Draco proving himself proficient with the crossbow. They manage to stop the creature, but not before it sends a ball of energy straight at Kellyanda. Kellyanda instinctively braces herself for the blast, but her pendant starts glowing and the ball is dissipated. It turns out that her pendant protects her from all offensive magic, proving her pendant an incredibly powerful amulet only possible through Remus' doing. With proof that Kellyanda is the "chosen one" and that Mordrea has awakened, it's agreed that the search for the sword pieces must begin. However, as the chaireagle of the ruling council points out, there's no sign of urgency or reason to waste the empire's resources on a wide-scale search for the segments. So Princess Eaglet compromises by giving Draco and Mage full custody of Kellyanda and orders them to retrieve each sword piece as their long-lost locations are discovered. In return, she signs off on their business venture to unite trade routes around the world, plus a royal seal that proves her full support behind their enterprise to anyone they wish to do trade with, and full reimbursement for business travel expenses. And thus, Kellyanda, Draco, and Mage set out on their quest to find the one sword that will defeat Mordrea before she regains her power, as well as Draco and Mage's journey to expand their business. And every step they take, Mordrea watches.
Setting: The series takes place on the alien planet known by its inhabitants simply as Eagleworld, where sentient, humanoid birds are the dominant species. Despite the name, a number of different bird species live in conjunction on the planet, including songbirds, seabirds, eagles, hawks, flightless birds, etc., though eagles are the majority and dominant species, hence the world's name. All birds resemble birds seen on earth, but several feet tall, with teeth, sapience, the ability to speak, and prehensile feathers at the end of each wing that serve as hands. All birds based on earth birds that can fly can also fly, and flight is a common method of getting around Eagleworld, physics be damned. Coexisting with the bird people are "draconians", reptilian humanoids with dragon heads, clawed feet, tails, and hard scales covering their bodies. They were created by Mordrea to serve as soldiers and replacements for her people during her massive attempt to wipe out all other sapient life on Eagleworld, but were scattered with Mordrea's initial defeat, slowly integrating into bird society over the centuries. Chronologically, the cultural period Kellyanda is dumped into bears similarity to Earth's European Renaissance, a time when art and education are flourishing, social boundaries are breaking down, and new discoveries in science and technology are made on a regular basis. Customs, clothing, etiquette, architecture, and the arts all mirror the similar period in earth's history, with some fields proving even more advanced and some lagging behind. Some elements of the Middle Ages remain, including monarchy as the common world government, and the preference for hand-to-hand or early long-ranged weapons. Contrarily, clockwork technology is far more cutting-edge than its earth counterpart, with far-more advanced gear-driven machines, including automatons, seen in occasional use in this world. But a crucial element in the world's workings is magical energy, which does exist and is utilized by every known civilization, channeled through various gemstones humans only saw for use in jewelry. While gemstones can be worn like jewelry on the neck or wrist, larger gems, like Mage's, are usually inserted into staves to serve as a grounding tool and lessen the shock large amounts of channeled energy may have on the body. Very few have the ability or endurance to channel magic through their own bodies. It's magic that allows for the translation field that encircles the world, allowing for instant audible and visual translation of any language derived from or similar to established languages from over a thousand years ago, including some Earth languages apparently, though dead languages that require manual translation do exist, and some languages from smaller, mostly undiscovered civilizations are unrecognized by the field. As well as translation and offensive elemental attacks, magic is also utilized for levitation, teleportation, illusion, animation, and protection, including barriers and shields. However, the bigger the spell, the more will that's required from the caster and/or the bigger the gemstone has to be, with gemstones, and occasionally magician's minds, often cracking and shattering under the weight of too much magical energy, and spells that require a tremendous amount of energy and concentration, such as necromancy, mind control, and permanent transformation, virtually impossible under normal circumstances. Also, the spell must have a secure connection to the caster and the source of magic to exist, and once the link is broken, so is the spell(e.g. a rock turned into a sandwich will turn back into a rock once the magic is removed, even if consumed), rendering things like curses incredibly rare unless an enchanted object that's sufficient enough to continue the magical energy in a "loop" is utilized, and even those may be destroyed or run out of magic. Additionally, each civilization and province holds their own laws and restrictions on magical use, some banning its operation outright, with many methods existing to detect and counter malicious/illegal magic use. Gemstones are utilized most commonly by the government and large businesses, but they are also owned by wealthy families and individuals who can afford the exorbitant cost of even a small gemstone, and the education required to utilize magic. It's this unbalance that has led to the rise of technology supporters, including Draco, who see machines as a way to replicate tasks undertaken by magic at an availability the underprivileged can afford. Both birds and draconians are born from eggs, usually one or two at a time, but the tradition of sitting on them until they hatch is considered archaic and obsolete, though some naturists may still prefer the method. Instead, the egg is taken to a hatchery to be kept warm and healthy for the several months it'll take to hatch, at which time, parents are notified, the child(ren) is picked up, and fees are paid. To steal an egg is on par with kidnapping, and the neglect of keeping an egg perfectly warm and healthy is on par with murder. While the bird people grow and cultivate crops to feed the population, animal domestication is not widespread, though farming of smaller creatures like edible insects and rodentia for meat does exist, and draft animals are not utilized. Mostly because, unlike the dogs, horses, and other livestock of earth, many of the larger creatures of Eagleworld are too dangerous or not worth the investment to domesticate or keep as pets. And while the wheel is known to most civilizations, carts and wagons are only utilized when the distance is too far for magical levitation, but too near for conventional transportation. Few boats are designed specifically for use on the water, and those that are are used almost exclusively for fishing, or when cargo is too heavy for air travel. Instead, most long-distance travel is undertaken by large "airships", boats designed like regular earth sea vessels, but attached to large bags of gas or hot air, allowing them to float thousands of feet in the air, guided by sail-like wings and spring-powered propellers. This allows for much faster transportation around the world than sea vessels, but require more lift and fuel the heavier the ship is, plus a large amount of maintenance to ensure the ship stays in the air. However, in case of balloon failure, these ships are built to convert into regular sailing vessels if the need arises. Most ships are used for government, military, or business purposes, with large transport ships for national or international travel available to the general population, but the rich may also own smaller personal airships, including the one that serves as travel for Draco, Mage, and Kellyanda. The trio live in the Capital City, their large house overlooking the bordering ocean, which serves as the location of the royal palace and center of the Eagleworld empire. The ruling government is a constitutional monarchy, and has been since the end of the Age The Mages a century or two ago, with Princess Eaglet currently serving as regent and queen-in-training until she either marries or becomes of age. While the king/queen can make rulings, including declaring war/peace, levying/repealing taxes, making/repealing laws, and serving as the final decision in a court of law, they are also required to obey the restrictions and methods set forth by the constitution, including any amendments made to it. Additionally, a council oversees many of the specific matters of the empire, with seats for education, finance, agriculture, etc., with a chairperson serving to unite the council and provide advice/insight to the king/queen based on the data, then relay decrees from the king/queen back to the council to form a plan. In instances of emergency, such as widespread disaster without an official king/queen, the council may also serve as the ruling government until the disaster is resolved.
A Brief History: Thousands of years ago, Eagleworld was shared by two separate, sapient species: Birds and Reptilians. Both lived on different halves of the world, and it was the access to plentiful and available resources on their side that allowed the Reptilians faster technological advancement. It's suggested the Reptilians achieved Bronze Age status when the Birds hadn't even discovered fire. Unfortunately, nearly all records of the Reptilians are lost by the time of Kellyanda, but at some point, Birds discovered the land of the Reptilians, arriving in their thousands through flight and primitive sailing and even air vessels. And while peace was attempted, possibly due to the Reptilians' access to resources or some deep primal hatred between the species from before they gained sapience, war broke out between the two. While the Reptilians level of magic and technology greatly surpassed that of the Birds, the Birds had superior numbers, the advantage of the air, and, most drastic of all, a strain of bird flu that Reptilian immune systems simply couldn't combat. Even civilizations that never came into contact with the Birds were hit by the bird flu carried by other animals and wiped out within a few short years. Within only a few decades, the Reptilian population was decimated, and, within a century or two of the Birds and Reptilians first meeting, only one was left: Mordrea, the only Reptilian to escape the Birds and the only one with immunity to the bird flu. As the Reptilians were wiped out, the Birds took advantage of the knowledge, architecture, and resources left behind, using them to expand and improve their own civilizations, while destroying seemingly all records or other traces that Reptilians had existed. Meanwhile, Mordrea, driven insane with revenge and the desire to restore her people, used the tomes and magical arts she was left with or discovered in now-empty ruins to begin the long process of becoming the most powerful sorceress on the planet. She became immortal, invulnerable, learned the secrets of nearly every magic and science seemingly possible, and her magic grew beyond the need for gemstones. After thousands of years of preparation, Mordrea finally became known to the Birds, who by this point had long forgotten the existence of the Reptilian species, seeing her as a pure monster. A war between Mordrea and the rest of the world began, that raged so long and proved so destructive, it almost stood to rival the initial conflict between the Birds and Reptilians. Using a combination of science and magic, Mordrea created a new race of Reptilians known as Draconians, who served as soldiers and replacements for Mordrea's people. They, combined with Mordrea's giant shadow creatures and her own seemingly limitless destructive magic, threatened to doom the Bird population to extinction. Just when things seemed their bleakest, Remus, of the mythological duo Romulus and Remus, was summoned through means lost to history. Remus became proficient in the art of magic, and, in a major confrontation between he and Mordrea, drained Mordrea's power and cursed her with a thousand-years slumber. Without Mordrea's power or guidance, the shadow creatures poofed out of existence and the Draconians were scattered to hidden reaches across the globe. Remus then began work on a weapon that would destroy Mordrea for good, but became too elderly to wield it and scattered the pieces across the world before dying. Mordrea's war had left civilization in ruins, with Bird populations decimated and much of the knowledge and wisdom from before lost forever. This began a period of Dark Ages, where not much is known other than most "civilization" consisted of small groups of Birds simply trying to survive with the barest of supplies and the most primitive of tools. At some point, the properties of gemstones were rediscovered, the magical energies allowing for speedy recovery and reconstruction. Culture and advancement began to reappear, with a large dependence on anyone who could use magical energy. This led to what is known as the Age of Mages, where the leadership for most civilizations was comprised mostly, if not entirely, of a magical ruling class. The ramifications of this divide between magical and non-magical beings varied from culture to culture, some having seemingly no difference in the social or ethical treatment of civilians, while the more despotic forbade even basic education to any non-magic users. For centuries, this was the traditional ruling structure, until an uprising broke out in one of the more oppressive kingdoms, overthrowing the cruel ruling class and instituting a more traditional monarchy. This sparked a chain of revolution across the globe, with insurrection breaking out in nearly every civilization against magic users as de facto leaders. For some kingdoms, the transition went smoothly, magic-users relinquishing control with little-to-no persuasion, while for others, years of bloody civil and even world war would result, with absolute rule finally being surrendered to the people. With knowledge and education previously only afforded to the ruling class now available to everyone, a period of Renaissance and exploration began. Meanwhile, Draconians, scattered into tribes and often conflicting with the expanse of the Birds, began to be assimilated into Bird civilization, first as slaves and beings of curiosity, then eventually lower-class citizens, until finally reaching the equal footing most are treated with. It's this world that Kellyanda enters into and begins her journey.
Characters:
*Kellyanda. Kellyanda is a girl in her mid-late teens, and the main character of the show. Her name is the compromise of her mother and father wanting to name her after their mothers Kelly and Miranda. Kellyanda seems to have no qualms about her name. As of this writing, her personality has not been finalized. Ideas include that she's a shy, very intelligent girl who enjoys reading and wishes for adventure, but soon finds that adventure requires a lot more skill and dedication than just reading about it. Another idea is that she's a somewhat spoiled girl very into her technology and wanting nothing to do with others, who finds herself forced to dedicate herself to something important and find other means of communication and entertainment than her tech when she's trapped without it on Eagleworld. However she starts, Kellyanda's journey is one of discovery and improvement, growing much more confident and social as the series continues. She also becomes very proficient with the sword, fearing battle less-and-less, and becoming more and more determined to defeat Mordrea and save Eagleworld. However, she never draws her weapon unless she has to defend herself or others, and she's very rarely forced to intentionally kill something living. Because of the shield from her crystal amulet, Kellyanda is unable to use magic, as demonstrated in one episode where she attempts to use a small gemstone to cast a spell, but her pendant reacts to the magical energy and and shatters it. Despite this, some magic, including the planet's translation field, continues to work for her, suggesting the amulet is somewhat sentient. Kellyanda often serves as the voice of reason, usually having to separate Mage and Draco when they begin to squabble and trying to find a middle ground for everyone to work on. While initially, she's somewhat anti-social, she warms up to everyone as the series progresses, even taking charge of large projects. She becomes friends with most of the others she meets, including Princess Eaglet, with whom she has some "girl time" when they're not busy. However, she's prone to stress, exhaustion, and outbursts, resulting from the responsibility forced upon her, the constant fight for her life, her displacement into an unfamiliar land, and the fact she shares living space(and a purely platonic relationship) with two bachelors. At some point, to combat boredom between missions, she devises an RPG game for the trio to play, starting as a traditional swords-and-sorcery campaign that too closely matches what they go through anyway, before becoming a space-centered game that just confuses them, before finally settling on a setting that mirrors modern life on earth, which they greatly enjoy, and we see them playing from time to time. As a human, Kellyanda is able to safely ingest things normally poisonous to birds and reptiles, including chocolate, but cannot fly and has much more sensitive skin than the planet's inhabitants, sometimes leading to oversights or other problematic situations. Her wardrobe and toiletries also prove unique to the world, including her need for shoes and brushes, requiring custom-made jobs that result in hit-or-miss results. Despite, or maybe because of, her dedication to saving Eagleworld, she still misses her planet, and is promised that there's a slim chance defeating Mordrea will allow mages to harness the resulting surge of magic to open a portal back to Kellyanda's world. At one point, she's asked why she wants to go back to her own world when she's achieved so much on Eagleworld and has a glorious future if she stays. To which she responds that it's not the kind of life she wants to continue living, and she wants to be among her own species, so even if she's treated like royalty for the rest of her life, there are certain things on earth she simply can't find on Eagleworld.
*Mage: Mage is a humanoid eagle in his early 20s. No decision has been made on what species of eagle, but probably not a bald eagle. Mage is, of course, not his real name, but he is so embarrassed by his real name, that he prefers that others refer to him by his chosen profession over it. Mage acts as a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, rarely smiling, easily annoyed, and possessing almost no sense of humor. He takes pride in his work and studies, preferring to spend the day pouring over business documents or practicing new spells than the "goofing-off" Kellyanda and Draco like to do. Mage's wardrobe is comprised of darkly-colored thick robes that he will wear, regardless of the season. Despite his organized nature, his room is a mess, arguing that it's how he finds things, and he sleeps sprawled out on his bed. Mage is very traditionalist, shunning technology and putting his faith in magic, putting him at odds with Draco's fascination with science and new mechanical advances. Mage is very smart, graduating magna cum laude at his university, and is very proficient with numbers, history, law, and, of course, magic. He is the only child of a very rich family who owns much of the land Capital City is built upon, and where the large house, private airship, and startup costs for their venture came from. His parents wanted him to continue the family business, but he chose to dedicate himself to the magical arts and the business Draco suggested while they attended school, and they are supportive of him as long as progress is apparent. While the idea was initially Draco's, he believes in the venture, and serves as the consultant for the more technical aspects, including the accounting and legal side of business. He and Draco originally met as young children in a public elementary school(the reason Mage had to attend a public school known solely to him and Draco), where Draco believes he saved Mage from a bully(when Mage insists he had the situation under control.) Draco believed the event made them pals and would continue to hang out with Mage, despite his early nonacceptance, and they would eventually become good friends. It's thanks to Mage convincing his father Draco deserved it that Draco was able to attend a university, where the idea for their business was formed. Despite their friendship, Mage and Draco have very contrasting personalities and are often at odds with each other, especially with having to live together under one roof. But only very rarely does something happen to damage their relationship, and they usually make up and continue on with their lives. Mage is a staunch atheist, contrasting with Kellyanda's and Draco's somewhat deist views, believing that everyone's born, everyone dies, and everything in between is filler. Mage is also asexual, bordering on gay, as he shows no interest in females, but may show slight excitement around more attractive males. However, Mage is married to his work and has no interest in a long-term relationship. Over the series, multiple events occur that appear to change his views and personality. At one point, he adopts a pet, who seems to be the only thing that gets him to unironically open up and enjoy life. Later, when the pet dies, amid a number of other catastrophes, he sinks into despair, losing all faith in their cause or life itself and abandoning the others. But a later stay in a monastery causes him to re-evaluate his religious beliefs and adopt a much more positive outlook on life and his relationship with others. ...Though he continues to be the grumpy traditionalist everyone knows and loves him for.
*Draco: Draco is a Draconian in his early 20s. In contrast to Mage's more serious and pessimistic attitude, Draco is a very cheerful, active, and jokey individual, usually serving as the source of levity for the group. Draco usually wears a shirt, pants, vest, tool/ammo belt, and back holster for his crossbow, but no shoes, as shoes meant for wear outside of hazardous work environments do not exist for birds or draconians. Draco is also very smart and a hard worker, but prefers to work "when he feels like it", usually spending the day looking for entertainment as opposed to working. He has no set schedule, spending his time on whatever his interest catches next, even if it means staying awake for days at a time obsessing over a project. Draco is obsessed with science and technology, drooling over the latest discoveries and inventions, while also engrossed in making his own creations and advancements. He's proficient in mechanics, woodworking, and chemistry, serving as the inventor and repairman of the group, and he often spends long hours either in his room or shed working on his latest project. Despite his messy profession, he keeps his room and work area very clean, arguing that it prevents any accidents and allows him to find things on a whim, and he's a neat sleeper. It's Draco who serves as the main source of annoyance for Mage, usually through his bubbly personality, his lack of professionalism in dealing with clients and royalty, and his leaving, often dangerous, tools, chemicals, and machinery around the house. However, while they will often quarrel, Draco and Mage understand each other's value and will settle things quickly, though not always peacefully. Unlike Mage, Draco came from a large, poverty-stricken family, one of a near-dozen children of a single mother, with barely enough income to feed everyone. Draco would spend long periods of time away from his crowded home, always looking for useful rubbish he could take apart and study, and spending time around mills and factories to learn how they operate. As he grew older, he'd take odd jobs to support his family, though, due to his laissez-faire and easily distracted attitude, and his penchant for taking things apart, he wouldn't keep many for long. In school, he became very proficient with the crossbow, as weapons training is a required subject in most Eagleworld schools, and would later build his own versions, including a gas-powered multi-arrow shooter that allows him to fire multiple arrows in succession, instead of having to reload with every shot. It's in late grade school that he also met Mage, and he formed a bonding, though somewhat forced, friendship with him that would last to the present day. It's his friendship with Mage, and the potential he demonstrated to his friend, that convinced Mage to persuade his father to fund Draco's university education, which he wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise. While he proved to be a good learner, his time was usually spent away from the classroom, preferring to pour over the library's books or simply relax at inopportune times, and he barely graduated from university. It was during his college years that he thought up and developed the venture he and Mage would take part in. Instead of the specialized, expensive, and time-consuming trade routes that only delivered things to places that ordered them, he would convince other kingdoms and businesses to ship their products and resources to warehouses they would build all around the world, allowing anything to be bought at any time in any region, and for any needed resource to always be on hand. His idea and methods were laughed out of the university, but Mage believed in it and convinced his father to provide the starting capital, as well as lending them their vacation home and an airship for travel between potential kingdoms and clients. And it's Kellyanda's arrival that provided the final signatures from the government to make the venture official. While Mage serves as the partner in charge of the legal and financial aspects, Draco is the spokesperson for the company, doing most of the talking and business with royalty and businesspeople to persuade them to sign with their venture, and keeping up good relations with the clients, though Mage sometimes has to step in when Draco's casual attitude and unconventional pitches threaten to ruin the deal, or worse. While not religious, Draco shares deist opinions, believing there must be some reason everyone exists and something everyone's working toward. Draco is a straight male, and is seen dating other females, both bird and draconian, throughout the series, though it's unknown if he finally settles down. As the series progresses and things get darker and more dire, he starts to lose his more cheerful side and become more serious and even stressed and angry, though he tries to keep up the facade and maintain the group's morale. And, as things get better, he regains happiness, while also showing he's matured in his decision-making and relationships with others, successfully expanding his venture and possibly marrying the love of his life.
*"Lance"(name not finalized): An eagle in his mid-20s. "Lance" is introduced sometime in Season 2 when Draco tries to make additional money by renting out one of their large house's empty rooms. "Lance" possesses a very "native", yet clean look, like someone who has lived most of their life in the wilderness, but still tries to look his best, with braided head feathers and simple clothes made from coarse fibers and animal skins. He also possesses a very ornate mask, which he forbids anyone else from trying on. It's revealed that it's a magical mask, that, when put on, can turn the wearer into any animal the material has come into contact with, though the face remains the mask. Once upon a time, "Lance" was the son of a rich, powerful, and corrupt judge, who practically owned the town "Lance" grew up in. "Lance" was forced to spend long hours studying law, despite how much he hated it. Of course, he knew the consequences all too well about making his father angry... Whenever he could, "Lance" would visit the town, looking for new things to try to break up the monotony of his life. One day, "Lance" came across a new curio shop, with the owner an old Bird, and he noticed the mask hanging on the wall next to the counter. He recognized it as similar to masks described in stories he'd heard about the Knights of the Mask, a mythical order of shapeshifters that existed before the conflict with Mordrea, who wore magical masks crafted from a giant rock that fell from the sky, made out of an element unknown to the world. The store owner assured him that the tales were real, and while thousands of masks originally existed, most were lost or destroyed over the centuries, until less than a handful remained. To prove it, the store owner put on the mask and shapeshifted into multiple animals, then told "Lance" that he was once a bit of a "superhero", inheriting the mask from another "superhero" and defending small towns with his powers, until he grew too old for the job. "Lance" became excited and wanted to try the mask for himself, but the store owner forbade him, telling him that the first time a mask is worn, it "changes the very essence of what you're made of", that the process is extremely painful and could prove fatal for those unprepared for the strain. Encouraged by the prospect of becoming a Knight of the Mask, "Lance" began to toughen himself up, building his muscles and subjecting himself to various painful experiences to brace himself for the experience. This change in behavior did not go unnoticed by his father, who eventually discovered what "Lance" was doing and who he was visiting from time to time, and he ordered the old man arrested, claiming he was mind-controlling his son. "Lance" went to save the old man, with his father telling him "If you walk out that door, you're NEVER coming back!" Having finally found purpose in his life and someone who actually cared for him, "Lance" ran out the door and to the old man, warning him about an angry mob that was about to descend upon his store. The old man said he was fine with it, that he'd lived long enough and didn't have much to continue living for, anyway. To which "Lance" grabbed the mask off the wall and mashed it against his face. The sensation started out as a tingle, then a pinch, before wracking his body with exploding pain beyond anything "Lance" had ever felt then or since. "Lance" wanted to give up, but the thought of how he needed to protect the old man and the desire to escape kept him fighting, until, after what seemed like hours later, but was probably only a minute or two, the pain subsided and "Lance" finally had the ability to use the mask. His first demonstration came immediately after, as he transformed into a horse-like creature to carry his new mentor to safety, before the angry mob burned his store to the ground. After much travel, "Lance" and his mentor reached an area they decided was a safe place to live, away from anyone who might recognize either of them or who might want the mask for themselves. "Lance" thanked the powers that be that the hardest part was over. ...Only for the mentor to laugh and tell him that they were just getting started. Since "Lance" decided to accept the power of the mask, his mentor was going to make sure he remained worthy to wear the mask, and his trials were just beginning, starting with creating a new living area to replace the one "Lance's" actions destroyed. Thus, for nearly a decade, "Lance" and his mentor engaged in rigorous training, living off the land, moving when necessary, and generally avoiding civilization, as "Lance" learned not only how to use the mask, but how to commune with nature and actually live as the animals he could turn into, giving him insight into how to control his powers. There were long, brutal days where "Lance" felt like dying of exhaustion, or at least giving up on the mask, but, over the years, he became accustomed to his new life, aiding passersby and nearby settlements and truly feeling like a hero. This period came to a sudden halt with the collapse of his mentor. He was too weak to go on, and, in his final few moments, he told "Lance" one final secret of the mask, before dying of old age. With his mentor gone, there was nothing keeping "Lance" living out in the wilderness, deciding to live closer to civilization, and, after a long journey, he arrived at Capital City, where he met Kellyanda, Mage, and Draco. He'd live with them for the first episode, but soon realize that inner city living wasn't his taste, and he'd move further away from the city borders. He'd become a recurring character, often meeting up with them by chance or when they invited him over, and he'd assist them in their battle against the second sword segment guardian. When disaster happens, Kellyanda, Mage, and Draco are forced to leave town, and Mage gives up on the journey, "Lance" would become the member to round out the trio for the next season, his skills in working with nature and crafting/cooking things from seemingly random natural objects proving invaluable as they journey without money or support. Their journeys would lead him back to his hometown, as well as a revelation about his mother that would lead to a confrontation with his father, and, when things are at their bleakest, his ultimate sacrifice would be the thing to save them all.
*Princess Eaglet: The ruler of Capital City and the smaller kingdoms and regions of the empire. Eaglet's parents, the true king and queen, were sadly killed in an airship explosion two years before the start of the series, and Eaglet serves as regent in their stead. While the official figurehead of the empire, Eaglet is not recognized as a full ruler until she either comes of age or marries someone of age, thus most of her decisions and rulings must be ratified by the council before they can go into effect. She does, however, still hold authority to broker deals and establish contracts with businesses and other kingdoms, including the deal she signed with Draco and Mage to endorse and ratify their venture. Eaglet is about the same age as Kellyanda, and becomes good friends with her. They hang out during the rare instances neither are busy, with her listening intently to Kellyanda's stories about earth, and even adopting some human customs, including painting toenails/talons. However, she keeps a serious, authoritarian demeanor while on the throne, to prove ready to one day accept the full responsibilities being queen will require. During a brief period of disaster, she is forced to temporarily abdicate and is placed under house arrest, which she eventually escapes from. She follows Kellyanda and friends for a time, but does not participate in any physical conflict, stating that she was taught to lead, not to fight, and the others acknowledging that no harm must come to her. Eventually, she returns to Capital City, where she again takes the throne and leads her people against Mordrea and her armies.
*The Chairman: The head of the council and a minor antagonist. He serves as advisor to the ruling party, a position he's held for decades, presenting the findings the rest of the council have concluded, and guiding the king/queen/princess to a decision. While he believes in Mordrea once she's made herself known, he doesn't believe in the prophecy that Kellyanda needs to defeat her, and is appalled when Princess Eaglet sides with Kellyanda. He attempts to sabotage Draco, Mage, and Kellyanda at every opportunity, most of his efforts vetoed by Princess Eaglet, much to his disgust. He's also shown to have revulsion towards draconians and "lesser" bird species, though he attempts to hide it as best as possible. His opportunity to usurp control finally happens when Capital City is attacked by Mordrea, and he invokes a clause in the constitution stating that, in the event of disaster and no official ruling party, the council will serve as the ruling party until the crisis is over. He takes over from Princess Eaglet, expelling Kellyanda and friends from the court and nullifying any contracts or other deals they have with the government. The chairman's rule proves to be very despotic, exceeding his authority and often not consulting with the rest of the council, most of whom he bribes or threatens to keep quiet. Under his martial law, xenophobia runs rampant, draconians herded into filthy ghettos and denied many of their rights and possessions, and even smaller bird species feeling threatened and oppressed, as soldiers and officers of the peace overstep their jurisdiction and attack/exploit the citizens they were sworn to protect. The chairman's plan is to make peace with Mordrea, allowing her to leave with the draconians of the empire and settle in a patch of land where she can have her own kingdom. However, the chairman's intentions are far from altruistic, as the area is a barren wasteland unable to grow crops or provide water for a large amount of people, so the inhabitants would be organized into work camps and work shops to provide materials and products for the empire in exchange for supplies. Failing peace with Mordrea, the chairman would utilize an energy weapon left over from the Age of Mages almost guaranteed to vaporize even the most powerful of sorceresses, then create a scenario where a glory-seeking draconian would be made to look like the savior of their species and lead them to a "promised land". The chairman attempts to assassinate Princess Eaglet by leading her into an ambush that would make it look like she was attacked by a native tribe of draconians, but she escapes. Later, she, Kellyanda, and team are brought back to the Capital City, where the chairman intends to execute Kellyanda and friends for treason, and to force the young princess into marriage, making his position official and assimilating her into his new ruling structure. The meeting with Mordrea goes badly, and the weapon is utilized. ...However, it has no effect on Mordrea, and she incinerates the chairman and council.
*Commander Kreaux: A high-ranking military officer crow, and another recurring minor antagonist. One of the most corrupt military officials in the empire's army, Kreaux exploits his position solely for personal gain and advancement, completely sidestepping his duties to protect and serve unless they make him look good. Easily bribed and eternally seeking glory, Kreaux does not possess a shred of conscience, abusing his power to confiscate things for his own and disposing of anyone who displeases him or gets in his way. His and Kellyanda's path often cross, with Kreaux usually arriving to execute, or in the middle of executing, a plan that will devastate the area and people for Kreaux's own benefit, his position and control of the empire's army proving difficult to combat without making more trouble. However, a solution is usually found and Kreaux often leaves empty-handed and unable to retaliate. Princess Eaglet is aware of his corruption, but, as he's an expert in hiding evidence, cannot take action against him without proof, without risking losing the loyalty of her other officers. During Mordrea's attack on the Capital City and the chairman's rise to power, Kreaux proves valuable in enforcing the chairman's regime and is promoted to Captain Kreaux, heading the corrupted military and police forces and committing atrocities in the empire's name. As part of the chairman's attempt to assassinate Princess Eaglet, he is sent to massacre a native draconian tribe in "retaliation", but is stopped by Kellyanda and friends. After the chairman is killed and Princess Eaglet returns to power, evidence is brought against Kreaux, proving his corruption and evil deeds, and he is stripped of his rank and discharged from the military. And, because he tries a last-minute attempt on Kellyanda's life, he is sentenced to serve a great amount of time on a prison island, and he's seemingly never heard from again.
*Mordrea: An extremely powerful reptilian sorceress and the main antagonist of the series. Born near the end of the initial war between the Birds and Reptilians, Mordrea never knew peace, as, throughout her life, she witnessed the remaining members of her race either slaughtered by the Birds or becoming infected and dying of the bird flu. As the Reptilians around her died, she went into solitary hiding, dreading the day a Bird would find her and kill her. Years went by before Mordrea dared to leave her hiding place, only to find her people dead, and that she was the lone survivor. Delirious with grief and anger, Mordrea swore revenge on the Birds and to restore her people, whatever the cost. Using books and other sources of knowledge she had rescued from the Birds destruction, as well as some in now-empty cities the Birds had not yet reached, she dedicated herself to learning and mastering every secret of magic, as well as the connecting sciences that would be required for some of these spells. Mordrea eventually found how to become immortal, the process involving very rare ingredients mixed together in a precise manner at precise measurements, then to submerge herself in the mixture for centuries, keeping the mixture pure and untouched by any outside force until every cell in her body was renewed. And while in the mixture, she couldn't die, her body felt like it would, remaining on the threshold of drowning to death throughout the entire process, her sheer will and hatred all that kept her from giving up. Once immortal, she had plenty of time to discover incredibly powerful spells and methods, including omnipotence, portal-opening, channeling magic without the use of gemstones, and even the ability create life, both strong-but-fragile, like her shadow creatures, and permanent, like the Draconians. She'd build a tower to serve as her base of operations, utilizing large gemstones to mask her tower from ever being found, and to magnify her powers even more. For thousands of years, she grew and honed her powers, mastering even the complexity of life itself, until, at last, she reemerged into a world that had long forgotten the existence of reptilians. The war that followed lasted for decades, her magic and forces wiping out entire civilizations and decimating the bird population, with all hope seeming lost. As a final resort, a large group of mages used every ounce of their power and energy to scour time and the universe to find someone capable of stopping Mordrea, coming across Remus and bringing him to their world as their last act. Remus would dedicate his life to magic and discovering a way to defeat Mordrea, and finally, in a major confrontation between the two, he'd drain Mordrea's power and cast her into a sleep to last for centuries. He'd then develop a weapon capable of slaying Mordrea, but would be too old to wield it when completed, so he broke the sword into segments and scattered them across the world, before casting the pendant of Mordrea's power through space and time to find someone worthy of wielding the sword. With the arrival of Kellyanda, the curse over Mordrea broke, and she is free to continue her war upon the bird world. While seething full of rage for the birds that wiped out her people, as well as the draconians she had originally created, deeming them tainted and a rushed attempt to recreate her own species, on the surface, Mordrea keeps a calm, even friendly demeanor, rarely showing anger or exploding into rage, and proving very patient with her plan to reshape the world. Appearance-wise, she looks much like an emerald-green snake from earth, but with scaled arms and legs, clawed toes, and eyelids that blink sideways, and has the mannerisms of a woman in her late-20s/mid-30s. She wears the same dark-gray hooded robes she wore to hide from the Birds, both out of indifference, and as a reminder what she's fighting for. While Mordrea is still immortal and the most powerful magic user on the planet, her slumber and her power being drained left her weakened, unable to immediately use many of her most powerful magics and incapable of defending herself from some status-affecting spells, meaning a significantly-powered mage could cast a spell sending her into a slumber for another thousand years. As such, Mordrea remains in her tower for much of the series, devising her tactics in her main chamber room and constructing shadow creatures to do her bidding, only venturing out herself when absolutely necessary. To prevent going insane from isolation and to keep her mental faculties intact and on track, Mordrea also grants an object(undecided what) sapience, intentionally created to ask her stupid questions so Mordrea can respond and justify her reasons(and to catch up the audience.) Mordrea also possesses a magical omniscient mirror that can show her anything, anywhere, but all because she can see it, doesn't mean she can/wants to stop it. Mordrea is unable to harm Kellyanda directly, as Kellyanda's pendant is powerful enough even to block Mordrea's attacks, so she can only be potentially hurt by Mordrea's physical shadow creatures, which Mordrea is initially limited with how many she can produce at a time and where she can send them. However, Mordrea doesn't actually want to destroy Kellyanda, seeing her more as a nuisance and her dedication to her quest as "cute and charming". After all, the only danger to Mordrea is the sword that can only be wielded by one human, so if the human is removed, every last risk to Mordrea is as well. Many times through the series, Mordrea attempts to bargain with Kellyanda, that if she'll hand over her pendant, which will instantaneously recharge her power and allow her to instantly reshape the world in her image, she'll open a portal herself and send Kellyanda back to her own world. When Kellyanda points out that she's unable to remove the pendant, Mordrea says that her will to keep it is what keeps it attached, and if she just decides to give up and go home, the pendant will detach and allow Mordrea to take it. However, even with Mordrea insisting that none of this is Kellyanda's fight and that she shouldn't side with something that brought her to this world completely against her will, Kellyanda never gives in, trying Mordrea's patience with her. As the series progresses, Mordrea regains much of her strength, eventually reacquiring her ability to create large numbers of shadow creatures and send them through portals to attack anything, anywhere, as she demonstrates with a wide-scale attack on Capital City. She also begins to make more public appearances, including meeting with the Chairman to establish a cease fire and listen to his plans for an alliance between the two. An alliance she has no desire to enter into. However, using large amounts of magic still exhausts her, and she must retreat to her tower to recuperate or risk being cursed once again. Mordrea refuses to accept that she's a remnant of a long gone past, that she is fighting a war against innocent people in retaliation against others who no longer exist, and believes that peace will only come once she's eliminated all other life on Eagleworld and reshaped it into a world that she can control.
Episode Structure: The series is an animated action-adventure story, most episodes self-contained in a 22-25 minute plot that's usually resolved by episode's end. For the first two seasons, the show has somewhat of a sitcom feel, episodes usually starting in the main team's house or ship and dealing with slice-of-life problems, including Kellyanda's adjustment to this new world and Draco/Mage's struggle to get their business up and running. However, most episodes also incorporate a fight, whether from Mordrea's shadow creatures, or another unscrupulous gang interfering with the main team's travels. In keeping with television standards and the preteen-early teen audience, nobody dies or is seriously injured in most of these fights, save for plot crucial deaths(and whatever we can get away with.) The only things allowed to be "killed" on a regular basis are Mordrea's shadow creatures, which vanish in a puff of smoke when stabbed or otherwise dealt a powerful blow. At certain points, Kellyanda will get into a discussion with the others about how something works(e.g. how Mage's gemstone works and why it has to be attached to a staff.) At these points, the scene changes to a whiteboard setting, with humorous scribbles from each party illustrating their discussion in an animated diagram. No mention is given to the whiteboard in universe, save for maybe 1 or 2 fleeting fourth-wall jokes. For the first two seasons, the seasons follow a pattern, with the first half taking place mostly within the Capital City or surrounding areas, and the second half revealing where a sword fragment is, so the group travels around to world to find it, while forming business deals with other kingdoms, colonies, and businesses. The first half allows a lot of character building for the main team, as we see Kellyanda adjust to her new life, including culture shock and the stress of her calling, and Draco/Mage trying to succeed in business and surviving each other. The second half provides world building, as we get to see more of Eagleworld, the different cultures, and the magical, often dangerous, landscapes and forested areas. Sometimes, the cultures and landscapes grant a reprieve, and other times, they serve as the disaster-of-the-episode for the team. Sometimes, Draco and Mage manage to negotiate a contract, and other times, they find they're not doing business with someone they want to form a partnership with. For the final few episodes of at least the first three seasons, they reach the place the sword segment is held, then have to combat the chaotic shadow beast that guards it. Sometimes it's out in the open, sometimes, they must find a way to get to it. Sometimes it can be defeated through physical force, sometimes, there's another layer to crack before they can get to the squishy center. Seasons 2 and 3 likely have epilogue episodes to provide a cliffhanger for the next season. Beginning with Season 3, the tone becomes much darker and action-based, signified with Kellyanda and the team on the run, homeless, penniless, and with only their ship to call their own. From here, the seasons are set much more in an arc, with events from previous episodes carrying over to future episodes, and consequences felt as they occur. For example, for Season 3, their ship begins to take damage and endure heavy wear, with the state of the ship degrading throughout the season. Damage and injuries from previous episodes are not instantly healed and carry over to future stories, though they likely don't last as long as they would in reality. Season 4 returns the team back to their home city, but with a massive war being fought around them, the tone remains dark and serious. There's an emphasis on time being of the essence and more pressure being put on our heroes to find the sword and defeat Mordrea, so the season as a whole feels much more rushed, with more actions crammed into each episode than previous seasons, and the resulting strain felt by Kellyanda and friends. So while the show begins as comparatively light-hearted and comical, the tone shifts as the series progresses, mirroring the danger and seriousness of the situation as it becomes more and more apparent.
Series Progression:
*Season 1: Kellyanda is brought to Eagleworld. The main cast are introduced and the premise is put into action. Kellyanda starts her journey and training, but proves inexperienced in sword fighting and frequently suffers from culture shock and the strain of the burden placed on her. Most of the birds and draconians treat her with uncertainty, or as a curiosity, either giving her no attention or too much of it. Kellyanda proves much more sarcastic and shy than she will be in later seasons, usually having to be saved from dangerous situations or even from her own stupidity, and the question if she's actually "the chosen one" is brought up frequently. Draco and Mage begin putting their venture into effect, though they also prove inexperienced in business, and their efforts are hit-or-miss. Mordrea wakes up and begins her plans to destroy bird-kind, but spends most of her time in her tower, sending shadow creatures to do most of her bidding, mainly to set up areas that will eventually be used to bring down the bird defenses. Of the series, Season 1 is the lightest in tone, with many problems fully resolved by episode's end, and plans that don't work still having something for the characters to fall back on.
**Story Ideas
***Kellyanda begins her sword training, but is declared "hopeless" by anyone asked to train her. To have any hope of progression, she's sent to preschool classes to practice with very young children, embarrassing her greatly. Kellyanda kills one of the shadow creatures for the very first time, mostly by accident, and feels terrible that she did. However, the shadow creature dissipates into smoke, showing they're not "true life" with a mind of their own, and Kellyanda is not committing murder. It's theorized that Mordrea utilizes shadow creatures, because it's very hard to find a good number of others who will help destroy the world.
***A giant explosion destroys Capital City. ...And Draco wakes up. It's revealed Draco is caught in a time loop only he is aware of, the same day repeating over and over again, ending in a massive explosion at about 4:03 every afternoon. Draco must find out what's causing the explosion and prevent it in order to break the loop.
***A great race is announced for inventors to parade their custom airships, the award for first place being a great deal of money, plus a manufacturing contract with a major airship producer to have their model mass-produced! Draco is incredibly excited to show off his new rocket-powered modifications to the airship and enters the race. We see a large number of other racers each with their own airships, all preparing for the race, including one peppy, no-nonsense female captain who speaks with a British accent(and whom Draco goes gaga over), and an unscrupulous group who secretly begin sabotaging the competition. The race begins, and Draco's ship starts doing incredibly. However, the sabotages begin to take affect for the other racers and many literally drop out of the race, including the British draconian captain. Draco's ship is nearly also rendered inoperable, but, thanks to help from Kellyanda and Mage, they fix it just in time. The saboteurs try one last attempt to knock other racers out of the race by physically ramming into them, Draco's only option to repel them to use one of the rockets to burst their balloon, which he does. Draco's ship wins, but, because he used his ship to damage another's, he is disqualified. In the end, the only one to legally cross the finish line is the British captain, using a shred of her boat and a hastily-made hot-air balloon to reach the finish. Draco shrugs and says that his design is too good for everyone to own, anyway.
***Draco is accused of financial fraud, and notices his own finances are being drained. They investigate the matter and find that it's one of Draco's brothers posing as him. His brother sees Draco going to college and starting a business as abandoning his family, and that he's perfectly in the right to be using his funds. He also reveals that their mother died several years ago and his siblings went their separate ways. His brother is arrested, and Draco is shocked and uncertain how to react to his claim of abandonment, but he's reassured that, if he had stayed with his family, the situation wouldn't have changed, and he would never have been able to form his dream business. This sets up Draco's other siblings to appear in future episodes, and what path each one took.
***Kellyanda becomes a bird. Details unclear.
***While out gathering natural supplies for one of Draco's experiments,
an insect burrows into him. Eventually, it reaches his brain and
completely takes over his body and personality. It's revealed it's a
rare parasite that latches onto the host's brain and practically becomes
the brain, using the larger gray matter to survive as the animal until
the host dies. However, this is its first meal with a sapient brain, and
the experience is exciting for it. It plans to utilize Draco to plant
its eggs in various places where its spawn can also burrow into and take
over the minds of everyone in the city, and eventually the world.
Kellyanda and Mage eventually discover what's happened, but find they
can't do anything without killing or permanently maiming Draco. Finally,
Mage grabs Draco and flies high into the sky, before going into a
freefall. The parasite screams that he'll kill them both, to which Mage
replies "If that's the way it needs to be..." At the last minute, the
parasite ejects itself from Draco, knowing it has a much higher chance
of surviving at its regular size, and Mage pulls up right before impact.
Draco asks why he took such a great risk to save him, and Mage replies
that he's his best friend, and it's what he does for good friends. The
parasite is seen on the streets of Capital City, edging closer to
another potential victim, but is casually squashed by a passerby's foot.
***The team are required to pass through a massive forest in order to get to the first sword fragment, but the forest is full of shapeshifting monsters that disguise themselves as one of the team members, waiting for the precise moment to signal an attack and devour the group. Despite their efforts to keep everyone in sight, the team is constantly distracted and the creatures take the opportunity to transform into one of the group. At first, the differences are noticeable and the team manages to dispatch the imposters, but, as they continue through the forest, the creatures become smarter and smarter, each appearance becoming harder and harder to distinguish from the real thing. It reaches a point where the creatures can also recreate their memories and personalities, and right before they reach the edge of the forest, one perfectly impersonates Kellyanda. Every attempt to distinguish the two fails, until Mage asks one of them why she wants to help them. She replies that they're her best friends, that she cares for them deeply, and that she swore to defend the planet and protect its inhabitants. ...And the copy gets an arrow in her face, proving it was the imposter. Kellyanda asks how they knew it wasn't her, and they tell her that they know Kellyanda's just doing all this to go home, and they leave the forest. Kellyanda mutters "Uh... Sure... Right..." before joining them, showing that she truly does want to help, and it's only by luck that they killed the wrong Kellyanda.
***In the middle of a great storm, Kellyanda and team come across a mansion right in the middle of a forest and seek to ask to take shelter. Inside, they're greeted by who seems to be the master of the house, and they're welcomed inside, being provided a scrumptious dinner, including foods from earth Kellyanda didn't think existed here, and luxurious accommodations, seemingly tailored to each of them. They also suddenly don't feel tired and just continue to enjoy the mansion. However, they eventually discover that they can't leave, and they find skeletons hidden away in one of the rooms. It turns out that the master of the house is some form of homunculus that has no form or consciousness until someone enters its area, where it takes a conjoined form based on its hosts and provides everything they desire, while slowly draining their energy until they die. Kellyanda realizes that it also emits some kind of field or gas that prevents them from getting tired, and realizes that it can't operate if the host is asleep. The team knocks themselves out, destroying the homunculus' hold on them, and they wake up outside the mansion, which they run as far away from as possible.
***The team visits a kingdom to propose their business to. The kingdom has been threatened by the return of a giant monster that nearly destroyed the land years ago. But there is a prophecy that an inhabitant from their kingdom, born with a certain marking, will rise up and destroy the monster. They meet the "chosen one", who has spent their entire life in preparation for this moment, but doesn't have much to fear, as they've been prophesied to defeat the monster. The battle between the hero and the monster begins! ...And the hero is defeated! The entire kingdom is destroyed, with Kellyanda and friends barely making it out alive. They realize that prophecies don't guarantee that one side will win. Rather, it's a telling of a time where everything comes down to two possible outcomes depending on who wins. Thus, in her eventual battle with Mordrea, Kellyanda's victory is still uncertain...
***Battle against the first guardian of the sword fragment. At this time, the form of which and the method used to destroy it is unknown, but Kellyanda shows that she is learning and proves herself competent and willing to save Eagleworld.
*Season 2: Kellyanda has been on Eagleworld for a while now, and is accepting her role and destiny more and more. Her presence is seen as normal by most others in the city, and she's on good social terms with many of them. While not an expert, she's become quite competent with the sword, finally on the level where she can train with other sword masters, and she's become much more proficient in and accepting of physical combat and defending herself. Mage and Draco continue to expand their business, and it's starting to become one others are taking seriously, with potential clients requesting to meet and talk, and the venture finally beginning to turn a profit. Draco also upgrades his single-shot crossbow to a gas-powered, multi-arrow machine of his own making, allowing for ten arrows to be stored in each canister, which he keeps multiple of on his toolbelt. "Lance" is introduced and becomes a recurring character, usually helping the team fight against Mordrea's shadow monsters. Mordrea's powers begin to visibly strengthen, and she begins to venture outside her tower, she and Kellyanda finally meeting. She presents her offer for the first time, and Kellyanda is shaken that there's another choice, but ultimately declines, the first of many times. However, Mordrea's words start to take effect, and Kellyanda must strengthen her resolve and her argument why she's doing any of this in order to continue.
**Story Ideas
***Mage's parents, the two financing Draco's venture and who actually own the house and airship, decide to pay a visit to assess if their money and resources are being used wisely. They prove to be very stuffy, unimpressed individuals, and the future of the business, as well as their residence, is left uncertain. We also learn Mage's real name, which is currently undecided, but makes Kellyanda choke on her dinner when she hears it. With Kellyanda's help, the parents are convinced to continue supporting the venture.
***A holiday episode. Draco and Mage are chosen to host the annual winter holiday of the city, that celebrates the winter solstice and the end of the harvest, plus brings in the new year and new goals. Two different parties are held, with Draco hosting a much more rowdy celebration of drinking, games, singing, and other merriment on one side of their house, while on the other side, Mage holds a much calmer celebration of reading, meditation, simple foods, and reflection on the year and one's life in general. Kellyanda attends both parties, acknowledging that, like with her world, there are multiple ways to celebrate the season, each having their origins and their benefits. Eventually, Draco and other members of his party cross over to Mage's side to calm down from their merriment, then Mage and some of his partygoers attend Draco's side of things to feel alive. The parties end, and also ends the first truly peaceful episode where nobody had to worry about anything and they could take a break from the stress of saving the world.
***Mage's pet is introduced. A tree-dwelling cat-monkey-lizard thing with a long tail, large black eyes, and the ability to change color to blend in with its surroundings follows Kellyanda, Mage, and Draco as they wander through its tropical habitat. However, it's stalked by its major predator, which the animal discovers and flees from. Meanwhile, Mage and Draco have an argument about his new crossbow and how dangerous it could be, with Draco insisting that the safety is on. He demonstrates, only to fire an arrow straight into the trees, shooting the predator that was about to eat the animal. Mage grabs the crossbow out of Draco's hands and berates him for being careless, which the animal looks down toward and thinks Mage fired the arrow that saved it. It begins to follow the group, Mage especially, despite Mage's attempts to shoo it away. But it proves useful in helping them through the jungle, finding food, and avoiding dangers, and it shows that it truly loves Mage. Mage eventually adopts it and quickly learns to love it. The pet becomes a recurring minor character throughout the season, showing semi-sapience and reacting to situations as a form of comic relief. It also proves to be Mage's major source of emotional support, getting him to open up and be cheerful around it, and Mage showing it love and affection.
***Draco attempts to prove a new method of transportation, one that provides instant teleportation of anyone or anything without the use of portals by traveling underneath space itself. The initial test proves successful, and Draco ropes Mage and Kellyanda into accompanying him on his maiden voyage a simple six feet away. However, something goes wrong and the trio are instead dropped off in a parallel universe, where their world embraced technology and resembles the modern human world Kellyanda left. The trio are considered clone duplicates of this world's version of the trio, and they must run from the law and a facility put in charge of ending cloning after a clone scare several years ago. They eventually run into their parallel counterparts, mostly sharing the same attributes, except Kellyanda came from a world of magic, and Mordrea was defeated over a year ago, with no idea how to get Kellyanda back home. With their help, and parallel Kellyanda's pendant, they reopen the fissure that sends them back to their universe and the parallel universe Kellyanda home. Draco decides the process is too risky to attempt again and burns his notes.
***A being finally emerges from the vat he had floated in for centuries, in a mixture of chemicals that turned him immortal and invulnerable. With his new immortality, he attempts to take over the world, starting with a small kingdom, proving unstoppable for the guards and Kellyanda and seemingly accomplishing his goal. Kellyanda and the team finally find that the only thing that can stop an immortal is themselves, firing an arrow made out of his molted feathers, ending him before he can truly begin his tyranny. It's brought up that the same process may have been used by a certain other all-powerful being...
***Kellyanda and friends meet a sapient penguin civilization. Details unclear.
***Kellyanda suddenly finds herself in another parallel universe. Then another. Then another. Then another. Each time, the next change seems to happen faster and she starts to turn transparent. Finally, she comes across a version of Draco that studies this phenomenon, and he tells her that, because she was magically teleported from one world to another AND she slipped between universes, her molecules were beginning to vibrate at different frequencies, sliding her into different realities, and unless she found a way to stop it, she'd vibrate out of existence all together. What she had to do was find a "constant", something that never changes despite the universe, and what reality uses as a "stitch" to keep itself together. She finds just in time that a certain statue always remains the same, and grabs it, holding on for dear life as reality folds around her and eventually drops her back in her universe. Parallel universe Draco takes note that the process worked, in preparation for his own trip, and he probably pops up in a later episode.
***Kellyanda becomes a draconian. Details unclear.
***Kellyanda and friends journey to a kingdom interested in becoming part of Mage and Draco's venture. In this kingdom is a high-security building, decked out with guards, thick walls and doors, and one lone figure encased in metal, the reason the prison was built to begin with. It's explained that the being is the queen's sister, who, enraged that her sister was chosen to lead over her, turned to the dark arts, discovering a spell that would turn her into the most powerful being in the world, continually gaining energy as she so much as walked. The queen was able to knock her out shortly after she read the spell and encase her in her prison to limit movement, everything else being built to hopefully stop her in case the armor failed. The day Kellyanda and friends arrive, an administrator performs the regular checkup on the prison, the captain of the guard proving that the sister can't fight back by continually poking her hands with his dagger, childishly taunting "Does this hurt? Does this hurt? I'll stop if you tell me to stop. ...Huh, guess you like it then." As the administrator leaves, he notices his pen has gone missing, figuring he just dropped it somewhere, when we see it in the sister's hand... Later, when the unlucky fellow who has to drip-feed the sister her meal comes in, he finds the restraints completely empty, the sister having filed enough of herself out of the armor with the pen, before being able to simply burst out. He sounds the alarm, but becomes her first victim. A massive battle breaks out in the prison, but everything the guards attempt have no affect on the sister and they're all wiped out. The captain sacrifices the guards nearby to run into a safety room and slam the door behind him. ...Only for the sister to effortlessly break down the door and ask him "Hey, captain. Does THIS hurt?!" The sister turns her attention to the kingdom, though Kellyanda and friends fly out to meet her and attempt to stop her. The sister challenges them to try everything they have, but nothing works, some of the force being reflected right back at them. The sister attempts to destroy them, but Kellyanda's magical pendant proves invaluable in deflecting her blows, so she instead tells them to go back to the queen and tell her that she's coming. They make it back to the castle before the sister, the queen using every ounce of magic to encase the outside gates in a force field. It holds the sister off for a short while, but her power exponentially continues to grow, and soon, nothing will be able to hold her back. ...Including herself, as the power inside her will eventually become too much to contain and she'll explode, taking the kingdom and miles and miles around with her. The question is brought up what if she's fed more magical energy than she can handle right now, force feeding it to her before she can get used to it? That would likely cause her to explode before it became too devastating, but nobody knows where to get that much energy in such a short time. ...All except the queen. Bidding everyone goodbye, she catches a ride on the team's airship, luring her sister far away from the kingdom, before transforming herself into energy and sending herself into her sister. At first, the sister seems to hold it, but she begins to crack and warp, screaming in pain, before finally exploding, the airship barely escaping the blast that leaves a large crater where the sister once stood. The people are saddened that their queen had to die, but they thank the team for their help, and the contracts are signed by the kingdom's new ruler. As they leave, the team brings up that a certain other insanely powerful sorceress may have also utilized that spell, but somehow found a way to contain all the power, and that she may be regaining that power as they speak.
***Kellyanda and friends come across the second guardian, a giant, snake-like, multi-headed and tentacled beast inside a cube that floats hundreds of feet above the ground. While the creature instantly regrows anything hacked off, producing many more tentacles that can pierce any of them, they discover that the inside is vulnerable, and a magical blast into the mouth of the main head may destroy the beast. Mage prepares to deliver the blow, but his staff is knocked out of his grasp and plummets to the ground below. Thankfully, his pet grabs it out of the air right before it falls out of the cube and runs it back up to Mage. ...Only to be knocked away by a tentacle and sent hurdling out of the cube. Mage starts to go after his pet, only for Kellyanda and Draco to be overwhelmed, also distracting the creature and leaving it vulnerable. With a scream of frustration, Mage flies to the creature's mouth, sticking his staff down its throat and sending a powerful blast through it, blowing it and the entire area up. Kellyanda and Draco safely float down to the ground thanks to Draco's invention of parachutes, to find Mage scrambling to find his pet. He finds it in a small clearing, severely injured. Despite his words of encouragement and that they'll get help, the pet dies in his arms, causing Mage to break down sobbing for the first time. The day is won and the sword fragment recovered. ...But at a great cost.
***Season finale. Following the previous episode, the trio return home, with Mage in a very sour mood, preferring to stay in his room. They try to take advantage of this moment to relax and recuperate, only for their city to come under sudden attack. Mordrea has regained enough power to begin opening large portals, and she demonstrates her might by sending a swarm of shadow creatures into all corners of the capital. A massive battle begins, seemingly everyone, including "Lance", coming together to fight off the creatures, and Mage's gemstone is destroyed in the process. In the aftermath of the battle, much of the Capital City lies in ruins, with thousands of civilians displaced and homeless as a result, including Kellyanda, Mage, Draco, and "Lance". Despite how busy she is trying to get things organized, Princess Eaglet says that, until a new residence can be completed, they may take shelter in the royal palace. ...Only for the Chairman to come in and say that won't be necessary. He invokes a clause in the constitution, stating that, in the event of a great disaster, and without the presence of an official ruler, the council shall take over as the ruling party until the crisis is resolved. Princess Eaglet is taken off the throne and placed in her room under house arrest, and the Chairman tells the team that any attempt to enter the palace or contact the princess will be seen as treason and treated as such. He adds that, because their business deals are affirmed by Princess Eaglet, that their accounts, every cent they have, are now frozen, and all contracts and ratifications null and void. They are shooed out of the palace, and into an angry mob, who demand to know how this happened in the first place. If Kellyanda was supposed to save them from Mordrea, then why were they attacked? Accusations start flying that Kellyanda is actually working with Mordrea, that Draco, as well as draconians in general, are still in league with the sorceress, and Mage and "Lance" probably had something to do with it as well. They are chased by the mob, which gets bigger and thirstier for blood as they run, and only barely escape to their airship, where they take off in a hurry and set off in some random direction, even having to fight off some of the more peeved civilians as they fly. To top it all off, after they've made it a safe distance away, Mage quits. He's lost his pet, his magic, his home, his money, his reputation, and all hope in their chances to combat Mordrea, as well as in life in general. He screams that it doesn't matter if they do manage to defeat Mordrea, there will always be another disaster to contend with, and they'll never see the end of destruction. All life is is neverending pain and suffering, until the end times where everyone's wiped out for good, so it doesn't matter what anyone does, so why bother trying to stop Mordrea's rampage? Draco tries to comfort him, but Mage punches him across the ship, before flying away, presumably to never be seen again. With no money, no supplies, and nowhere to call home, the team wonders what they'll do next. To which Kellyanda replies "What we've been doing. What we still need to do..."
*Season 3: The beginning of a darker tone for the series, and of a more arc-driven narrative. Kellyanda, Draco, and "Lance" are exiles with no home, no money, very few supplies, and aboard a ship not built for long periods of travel. Seemingly everywhere they go, they're met with hostility, with even nature itself trying to kill them on a regular basis. Despite this, the team tries to continue their mission to defeat Mordrea, looking for clues to indicate where the next pieces are. Kellyanda continues practicing her swordplay, while Draco tries to keep the ship intact, pouring over information they find and receive as they go, and "Lance" serves as pilot and defender of the ship. The lack of supplies and the close quarters the trio has to share results in regular heated tension, and Draco starts to lose his more cheerful side, becoming more serious and stressed out, though he tries to maintain some form of humor through everything. Meanwhile, the Chairman proves to be a despot, acting with absolute authoritarian power without the council, whom he has bribed and/or threatened into remaining quiet. Taking advantage of the surge in xenophobia, he begins a movement against draconians, seizing their homes as a "measure of precaution" and moving them into filthy ghettos and makeshift camps, while giving birds that curry his favor their property, even as thousands of citizens still remain homeless. Draconians are allowed few, if any, rights, and civilians and military alike abuse them in the streets, without a single eyebrow raised. Even other bird species find themselves ignored, compared to larger predatory birds like eagles, but any protest or opposition is quickly, and often violently, dealt with. At the same time, the Chairman attempts to contact Mordrea, first to organize a cease fire, then to sue for peace and to put his plan into action, allowing Mordrea to take all the draconians of the empire and settle in a large patch of land she can call her kingdom, which is secretly a barren wasteland where her people will have to perform heavy labor in return for the empire's supplies. Mordrea does meet with the Chairman and appears to agree to his terms. ...But only on the condition Kellyanda is brought to her.
**Story Ideas
***The team arrives in a sleepy town that seems to tolerate their presence and allows them to rest and barter for supplies and repair. They soon meet a well-respected member of the community, a traveling doctor that saved them from a sudden outbreak of a rare fever, and whom they rewarded with a large house near the town. But, as the team accidentally discover, it was the doctor who poisoned the water with the fever to begin with. To him, the town serves as a research lab, where he can infect the citizens, study the effects, and discover a cure, insisting that it's in case the same diseases broke out in a much more populated, "important" area, and if others have to die for his work, so be it. And, as they find with his collection of diseases, he's willing to do it over and over again. The town doesn't believe them and orders them to leave, but they try to stop the doctor anyway, accidentally knocking him into his collection of diseases and infecting him with every one. In his thrashings, he knocks over a candle and burns his house down. The furious townsfolk chase after the team, who, once again, only barely escape in their airship, having not acquired any of the supplies or repair they needed and turning another town hostile against them.
***The team ends up in "Lance's" hometown, despite his protests, due to desperate need of food and repairs. Thankfully, the kind head nurse of a salvation center organizes both for them, the first break they've gotten in weeks. However, as "Lance" gets a look at the nurse, he recognizes her as his long-lost mother. She doesn't recognize him at first, but when he tells her who he is, her expression turns to multiple levels of shock. She hurries the group into a private area, where she tells "Lance" that she is, in fact, NOT his mother. However, she is his aunt, and his mother was her twin sister. They founded the salvation center when they were both young, wanting to help the poverty-stricken of the town, which seemed to have gotten worse with the arrival of the rich and powerful judge. One day, there was a fire that mysteriously started, burning the center into almost nothing, with no hope of gaining the resources to rebuild it. However, the judge arrived on the scene, offering to fund the reconstruction of the center if one of them would marry him. "Lance's" mother agreed, and lived in the judge's mansion as his wife. She was showered with all the good things in life, including rich food, clothing, and jewelry, and she was forced to accept it all, despite having dedicated her life to charity and feeling awful about everything heaped upon her. She wasn't allowed to leave the mansion, forced to cooperate at every social gathering, and to pretend she was enjoying every moment, that the judge was treating her with love and affection. And even then, the judge proved to be a cruel and sadistic husband, beating her for even the slightest transgression and threatening to kill her if she ever tried to escape. A few years after "Lance" was born, she managed to successfully escape, fleeing back to the center and into the arms of her sister. For months, she was hidden, as the judge and his legion of guards practically tore the town apart looking for her. Eventually, the search subsided and she went back to work at the shelter, but the years of abuse affected her more than she thought, leaving her barely able to function and wracking her with guilt that she left "Lance" back with the judge. One night, she attempted to sneak back into the mansion and bring "Lance" back with her. ...But the judge was waiting for her. She barely escaped with her life and retreated back to the center. Her physical and mental scars became worse and worse, leaving her bedridden and prone to random emotional outbursts and hallucinations, believing that she had rescued "Lance" and he was with her. She became weaker and weaker and more mentally unstable, until, one night, she died, cradling a doll like it was her son. After hearing the story, "Lance" is hit with deep sorrow at the fate of his mother, and blinding rage at what his father did. His aunt wants revenge as well, but nobody dares confront the judge and his small army of guards that could burn the town to ashes if he so desired. "Lance" is convinced to let it go, but, later that night, as everyone else sleeps, he marches on his father's mansion, using the forms and powers from his mask to easily dispatch his father's guards. He finally arrives at his father's quarters, ready to tear him limb-from-limb. ...But discovers him sitting in a chair in front of a fireplace, stricken blind, and calmly smoking a pipe. He knew that "Lance" would be back one of these days, and likely pissed off at him, and he just didn't care. "Lance" tells him he's there to kill him for what he did to his mother, and his father calls his mother a fool. His father had worked all his life to get where he was now, every second spent to reach a glorious profession so he can make money and live in comfort. To him, money and power were everything, and he couldn't picture himself without either. And then along came his mother and her sister, opening a salvation center where they cared for people FOR FREE, expecting nothing in return, and he couldn't handle it. To him, his marriage/abduction of "Lance's" mother was his attempt to reeducate her, show her everything she had been missing out on by showing kindness and selflessness. He was doing her a favor forcing her into that life, one that neither she nor "Lance" appreciated him for. But he didn't care. He was happy, he was successful, and that's all that mattered. And if "Lance" was there to kill him, well, he was blind and he'd lived long enough anyway. "Lance" stands there for a few seconds in amazement. ...Then chuckles, saying that nothing he could do to him could be worse than what he did to himself, before retreating back to his team before they awakened. The judge surprisingly doesn't retaliate for "Lance's" actions, and the team is allowed to go on their way, "Lance" never telling them what happened that night, but telling his aunt he'll be back as soon as his business is concluded.
***An episode with no appearance from the main characters, possibly a first for the show, though there may be some casual mentions. We cut back to Capital City, where we're shown just how bad things have gotten under the Chairman's rule. He gloats to Princess Eaglet in her room about how he's a much more respected leader than she ever was and how much he had gotten done that she could never hope to accomplish. Princess Eaglet fires back that he's not respected, he's feared, and the only thing he's gotten done is his own agenda, while the people starve, freeze, and live every day in terror of the unknown. The Chairman tells her that it's that mentality why she's under house arrest to begin with, before also gloating that he's about to make a deal with Mordrea that will end the conflict the PEACEFUL way, when Princess Eaglet was so anxious to push for war. Princess Eaglet warns him that someone so powerful and so ready to unleash an attack on innocent people like that has no chance of being reasoned with, but he ignores her, calling her young and foolish. Before he leaves, he reminds the princess that living in the palace is a privilege, that, if considered not safe enough, especially if she puts herself in what could be seen as a precarious position, there are many safer, less comfortable and more isolated places to put her. Possibly so safe, that they forget she's even there... Soon after, he's confronted by the one council member he couldn't turn, who states that he voted in favor of the Chairman as part of his responsibility and his belief that Princess Eaglet was too young and inexperienced to solve such a crisis. However, the Chairman's actions have proven even more irresponsible, and he will push the council to elect a new Chairman as soon as possible. The Chairman pretends to agree with him. ...Then orders a hit put out on him. The councilperson comes very close to death, but is saved by a mysterious figure in a hooded cloak, who proves very proficient with the longbow, and who pops up as if from the shadows to protect anyone hassled by the corrupt police and the surge in crime, birds and draconians alike. The figure is also accomplices with a secret resistance group, who bring in the more abused and desolate citizens, including the councilperson, intending to overthrow the Chairman as soon as they can. The Chairman hears of this mysterious figure and orders it brought down at any cost. The figure manages to slip past multiple attempts to seize it, and, during one scuffle, is unmasked, revealing a female robin. This proves very shocking to the mostly draconian resistance group, who thought she was a draconian, and many argue that she should help them no longer, since she's "one of them." She argues that it doesn't matter who she is, NOBODY should be treated the way they are. Everyone has the right to life, and to live. The argument is cut short, however, when the resistance's base is stormed by the Chairman's soldiers, the robin, councilperson, and some of the younger members managing to escape as the others are captured. The robin bribes an airship to take the others to another kingdom, where they will hopefully be safe. They ask why she's not coming, and she tells them that she needs to rescue the others that had been arrested. Her job is in the city, and it's nowhere near completion. The airship and robin go their separate ways, and it's left ambiguous what happens next.
***The team is attacked by pirates. ...Not much else has been decided.
***Multi-parter. Kellyanda and team barely escape a cave full of flying creatures that will eat anything, including their ship and all passengers, and that proves to be the final straw. They are so tired, so hungry, and so stressed out, there is no chance of being fit enough to take on anything else in their way, much less Mordrea or a guardian. They have to land somewhere, repair their ship, take on supplies, and, most importantly, get some rest, no matter what they have to do to get all three. Surprisingly, the port they request landing at seems to welcome them with open arms, waiving the landing fee and inviting them to the palace itself. At the palace, which is clearly inspired by ancient Chinese culture, they are welcomed by the empress, thrown a great feast, and promised they will be given all the supplies they need, as well as a brand new, state-of-the-art ship. As they eat and watch the entertainment, "Lance" points out to Draco that it looks like everyone there is female, down to the guards, chefs, and staff. Even the empress' personal guard, a hawk who can throw a pair of spiked iron balls attached by a long chain with incredible force and accuracy in any direction, is female. They both wonder where all the males are, and, later that night, go looking for them. Meanwhile, Kellyanda is given a tour of the palace and kingdom by the empress, also noticing that there are no males, the empress saying that they have advanced beyond the need for men, and it's never been better than it is now. She says she invited Kellyanda because of how important she is. She believes that Kellyanda will be the savior of all bird and reptilian kind, and she wants her palace to serve as her new base of operations. She'll help Kellyanda find the sword and defeat Mordrea, and let her live in luxury for the rest of her life. And, in return, Kellyanda will serve as a symbol of power and importance, a figurehead to rally her armies and to gain support from other kingdoms, as she moves to place the entire world, including Princess Eaglet's empire, under her rule and ideals. Kellyanda thanks her, but she's already loyal to Princess Eaglet, and she wants to go home after she's defeated Mordrea, so she turns her down. The empress' mood turns sour, and she has Draco and "Lance" brought in, both bound. The empress then states that if Kellyanda does what she says, they will remain unharmed, and Kellyanda reluctantly agrees. The two are taken to a work field, and it's shown where all the males are. Males are hidden from the rest of the empire, placed into increasingly laborious work camps and workshops starting when they're just children, to perform backbreaking, strenuous, even dangerous labor, including farmwork and mining. They're given no education outside of what they're required to do, taught almost no speech outside of a very basic vocabulary, and punished severely by the female overseers if they step out of line. Draco and "Lance" are placed in a field that produces flowers for the empress, with explicit instructions to the guards to make sure they're not killed for as long as the empress says. ...Everything else is fair game, though. Meanwhile, Kellyanda is allowed to live in the palace, but is told by the empress that, if she crosses her in any way, she'll have one of her friends killed, then the other, and finally, her. When Kellyanda suggests Draco and "Lance" live with her in the palace, the empress screams that it's "out of the question." She grew up in a kingdom full of sexist, tyrannous men, the capital city the worst condition in the world, and when she overthrew her father, the previous emperor, she banned males from having a place in her civilization, though relocates them to perform most physical labor, and provides a way her citizens can continue to procreate without coming into contact with males, until such time as she finds a way to discontinue that. She says that Kellyanda will be provided with a new team, and she'll get her scholars on the search for the location of the next sword fragment. In the meantime, she intends to invade a neighboring kingdom, and she wants Kellyanda at the front of her army to serve as morale for her troops, which Kellyanda is forced to agree to. Somehow, a lot of things happen that end up causing chaos in the kingdom, allowing Draco and "Lance" to escape. They try to break out the other males. ...But they don't want to go. This is the only life they've ever known, and they like it, especially since they're surrounded and "punished" by beautiful females. Draco's argument causes them to ask if they're "weaky boys", and that they know what to do with "weaky boys", showing that the guards don't have to thin out the herd, the herd does it themselves. Draco and "Lance" manage to escape and find Kellyanda, who's also escaped, but they run into the empress' personal bodyguard, who attempts to kill them with her heavy, steel balls(*heh heh*) in a very stylized fight where she attacks like a dancer, throwing the balls with such force, they smash through trees. They narrowly manage to defeat her, causing her to fall down a cliff presumably to her death, though, unbeknownst to them, she saves herself by driving her spiked balls into the side and hanging on by the chain, allowing her to appear later. They find their ship, which wasn't repaired at all and was scheduled for demolition, and take off, but the empress, in one final act of revenge, sends her own airships after them. They narrowly manage to avoid them/fight them off, but one gets off a lucky shot, blowing away a good chunk of the side of the ship Kellyanda is standing on, and, despite the efforts of Draco and "Lance", she falls to the forest below.
***Continuing from the previous episode, Kellyanda falls into the forest from the ship, her fall thankfully cushioned by soft branches with an abundance of leaves, and she makes it to the ground mostly unscathed. Not knowing where she is, she first stays in one place, hoping Draco and "Lance" will be back at any moment to find her. However, her wait is in vain, and she's forced to climb a tall tree when a predator attempts to eat her, eventually leaving with the sunrise. Realizing she's probably stuck there for the long haul, Kellyanda begins to attempt to survive in the forest. Remembering things she learned on TV and camping back home, and stories "Lance" told her from his own life, she learns to start and keep a fire going, to keep warm, keep predators away, and serve as a signal for anyone passing by. From there, she moves onto food, knowing nothing about any of the vegetation of the area, and her initial gamble with a berry bush proving quite unpleasant. Eventually, she learns to eat what certain other animals eat, and follows them to a source of fresh water to drink. From there we see her try to survive as she waits for rescue, using her sword to chop wood, hunt, and protect herself from predators, as she builds simple tools and shelters to protect herself with. Very little dialog is utilized, as the episode is all about the experience of survival. After a few weeks, Kellyanda grows tired of waiting to be rescued and decides to follow the stream, figuring it leads somewhere she'll be noticed. After a few days, she finally arrives at a clearing with a lake. ...And a large, hungry predator. But before she can draw her sword, the animal is scared off by an arrow. ...Fired by Draco! After embracing in joy, Draco explains that they were chased quite far by the empress' ships and they had to hide for a few days until the coast was clear. Then they ran out of fuel for the custom-built engine Draco had installed before they had to escape Capital City, which Draco synthesized by fermenting grains in the area to produce his own alcohol, but that took several weeks, during which time, they performed repairs as best as they could, and "Lance" gathered and hunted as many supplies as he could, so they weren't completely destitute. They went back and searched for several days around the area where Kellyanda dropped, but couldn't find anything outside of a smoldering campfire. They dropped down to the lake to refill their water, and amazingly found Kellyanda! Now reunited, Kellyanda reveals that, before she left the palace, she heard from the scholars that they had found where the next sword fragment was, and even grabbed the map they were working with, so they finally have a destination!
***The Chairman decides that he's not going to risk Princess Eaglet coming back to power, so he decides to end the monarchy once and for all. He arranges it for Princess Eaglet to be moved to more "secure" surroundings, but sets it up for her caravan to be massacred and the blame pinned on a native tribe of draconians. Luckily, a guard still loyal to Princess Eaglet manages to warn her, and, on the day she was to be moved, helps her escape and fly away, being arrested in the process. By chance, Princess Eaglet runs into Kellyanda and team and joins them, deciding it's too dangerous to go back to the city until Mordrea's attacks are staved off. She doesn't attempt to involve herself in fights, as she has little combat experience, having been trained to rule, not fight, and the others agree she must be kept as safe as possible. However, she does help them with navigation and even cleans the ship, which had gone quite unkempt from the months of more important things happening. The team makes an emergency landing near a native draconian tribe for a rest, and while initially received with hostility, is welcomed in and invited to participate in some of their customs, including a hunting dance. However, it turns out this is the tribe the Chairman blamed for Princess Eaglet's apparent death, and Captain Kreaux shows up to massacre them in "retaliation". He becomes even more excited to see Kellyanda and friends, as it means finally having a reason to dispose of them, and everyone was already told Princess Eaglet was dead, so why disappoint anyone? With help from Kellyanda's team, the tribe manages to repel the army and send Kreaux packing. They are given a few supplies for their journey in thanks, then continue on to their destination.
***Something happens, a great problem arises, and they are saved by someone in hooded robes, whom we've seen at the ending to the last few episodes, seemingly following Kellyanda and team. The robed one pulls off his hood to reveal... MAGE!
***Flashback. After abandoning the others, Mage wandered aimlessly though the country, witnessing attacks on people and towns by Mordrea, but being too miserable to help. After days of going nowhere, being depressed, and wondering what the point of even being alive was, Mage was surprise attacked by one of the shadow creatures. He fought it off, but took some serious blows in the process. Trying to right himself, he ended up falling backwards down a steep hill, hitting nearly everything on the way down, before he hit his head and knocked himself out. He awoke days later in a monastery, covered in bandages and the nurse happy to see he was awake, saying they found him near the edge of the forest where they pick berries. Mage tried to leave, saying he wasn't worth their time and attention, but they insisted they couldn't let him leave in his state, and he'd have to stay until he was fully healed. As Mage laid in bed, with only the window to entertain him, he noticed that the monks were able to cast spells and use enchantments that exceeded the capabilities of the small gemstones they were wearing. Mage asked how this was possible, and a monk explained that they had a direct connection with the "life stream", where all magic, as well as everything else, originates. Mage explained that he's an atheist and doesn't buy all that spiritual junk, which the monk understands, but encouraged Mage to try it when he wanted to. When Mage was well enough to stand, he attempted to perform magic using the small shards of his original gemstone he had on him, but, outside of a few sparks, had no results. A monk explained that, if he truly wanted to use magic as they did, he had to put faith in the "life stream", which Mage reluctantly started to do. At first, it was slow going, his pessimism and lack of belief holding him back, but, as the weeks went on, he began to feel something, some connection he had never felt before, one that seemed to fill him with joy and energy. Utilizing this power, he finally began to demonstrate magic as the monks did, much to everyone's delight. Of course, there was still much to learn, such as how he couldn't use his magic for destructive or selfish reasons, otherwise, he'd only absorb a fraction of the power he could channel. Though he could still use offensive spells, as defending others was not destructive. He was given new robes and began to live as the monks do, spending time in meditation, reading their literature, working to support their monstary, and accompanying them on their trips to protect and serve the nearby towns. His connection to the "life stream" became stronger, and he could feel spiritual presence, including those who has died, such as his pet, as well as raw life energy, looking to be molded and brought into the world. He was taught that all energy is sentient, and was either good or bad. Good energy, which comprised the universe, wanted to take form and serve purpose, whether that be as a rock, a tree, a being, or even a planet. Evil energy wanted to control form, being unable to take form unless invited in, such as through evil thoughts and decisions. While evil energy could be expelled, it became harder and harder to do as more entered into the being, and soon, the being could be completely controlled and never realize it. And when a being is thousands of years old and spent her life doing evil, such as Mordrea, an extremely large amount of evil energy is felt, and it's not known where the being begins and the evil energy ends. In fact, it's Mordrea that's making the "life stream" practically scream in pain with the unbalance and the sheer volume of evil energy released into the universe, and thus, Mordrea must be destroyed in order to release the built-up evil energy and restore peace to the good energy. After months with the monastery, Mage was offered a position with them and nearly accepted. ...But then remembered why he ran in the first place and realized that he still has some unfinished business to attend to. With their blessing he left the monks, but forever carries their teachings with him, feeling reborn and with a renewed sense of purpose. He began to track Kellyanda and the others down, always one step behind, but finally catches up to them. Everyone is overjoyed to see him alive, and he's happy to see them. Draco takes one look at him... And punches him in the face, knocking him down. Then he picks him back up and hugs him, happy to have his best friend back. The team reunited, they go to track down the third sword segment. And while Mage demonstrates that he's found a new outlook on life, there are still traces of that grumpy, cynical eagle everyone knows and loves.
***The team reaches the next guardian, which is contained in a giant swirling vortex of wind that rips apart anything it comes into contact with. Having no idea how to get through, Draco finally suggests flying the ship at top speed until almost hitting the vortex, then cutting the balloon and letting inertia speed them through the wind. His plan works perfectly, the ship sailing through the wind and smashing to the ground on the other side, the passengers leaping out and flying to safety at the last minute. From there, it's a standard battle with the giant creature made out of sand, which is defeated when Draco uses the final working rocket of the ship to turn it into glass. Another segment in the bag, they prepare for a long walk back to civilization, only to be held at crossbow-point by Captain Kreaux and his army, telling them he'd be happy to give them a lift back to the city. ...And to enjoy the ride, for it will be the last time any of them see the sun.
***The team is brought back to the Capital City, each one, except for Princess Eaglet, bound, with Draco receiving especially harsh treatment. They're all taken to the palace and locked up, awaiting the return of Mordrea. The Chairman reveals that he doesn't care what Mordrea wants with Kellyanda, as whatever's left of the team, he will have executed for treason. He also reveals that, while he initially wanted to do away with Princess Eaglet, he has recently decided to marry the princess decades his junior, assimilating her into his new regime and putting an end to the monarchy, making him the official ruler of the empire. With the meeting with Mordrea coming up, he's asked what will happen if Mordrea declines and tries to attack again. To which he shows that he's in possession of a very powerful weapon. Towards the end of the Age of Mages, the more resilient and corrupt kingdoms, as a last resort, committed an atrocity by draining the very life from hundreds of their own people, transferring it into large energy cannons that disintegrated literally anything they touched in one devastating, 5 second blast. They weren't enough the keep the rule of the mages intact, however, and, during cleanup, all remaining cannons were found and dismantled. ...All except one, which was found hiding in the palace archives, and which still held a charge theoretically powerful enough to atomize Mordrea, if it came to that. Mordrea meets with the Chairman, Kellyanda and others are brought before her, and Mordrea reveals that she had no intention of making peace with the Birds, especially since the Chairman alone proved how ugly and power-hungry the species can be. The Chairman orders the weapon fired, which unleashes its devastating blast down on Mordrea. ...Only for Mordrea to prove completely unscathed, simply saying "That tickled", before incinerating everyone in the room, save for Kellyanda and her team, protected by Kellyanda's pendant. Mordrea gives Kellyanda another chance to simply give up the pendant, go home, and let the destruction of Eagleworld be a quick and painless one. Kellyanda refuses, so Mordrea tells her to sit back and watch the show, unleashing all her shadow creatures upon the city. It all seems hopeless, until "Lance" thinks back to the final words of his mentor. His mask can only be destroyed by the wearer, and only if the wearer is serious. Once destroyed, a tremendous amount of power is released that the wearer can wield for less than a minute, but, once destroyed, the mask can never be reforged and is gone, forever, so its destruction must be saved for when there is no other way possible. "Lance" decides this is that time, shattering his mask and absorbing its power, sending a great wave of energy through the Capital City that eliminates every single shadow creature, and even proves exhausting for Mordrea to shield herself against. The magic expended, "Lance" is left clutching the dust of what was once his mask. His role afterwards is uncertain, whether he continues to follow the group or goes back to his town. With Mordrea seemingly weakened, Kellyanda says that she needs to give up and stop trying to destroy the innocent Bird people. ...To which Mordrea laughs, amused that Kellyanda thinks she's fighting for the right side. Mordrea immediately gets back up and, to prove that she's grown more powerful than last they met, she's able to levitate Kellyanda into the air. While the pendant prevents her from using most of her magic, she does send a blast of mental energy into Kellyanda, saying that everything will be made clear as she deciphers it, before disappearing through a portal back to her tower. Princess Eaglet retakes her throne and makes a speech to her people, condemning the actions of the Chairman and Captain Kreaux, whom she has stripped of power, and saying they have been blinded to the true danger of Mordrea. Now is the time where they all must prepare to defend their land against the neverending forces of Mordrea, and hope that Kellyanda can find the final sword segment and destroy Mordrea. She then begins reparations, giving the draconians their land and property back, judging those who wrongfully abused draconians, pardoning those who agreed to apologize and swear their allegiance back to her, and freeing those imprisoned by the Chairman, including the resistance members, the robin, and the guard that helped Princess Eaglet escape. And, true to her word, she allows Kellyanda and friends, as well as many of the homeless, to live in the palace. Kellyanda's even shown a piece of glass dug up from an excavation occurring nearby. ...And goes into shock when she reads the words "Produced by the Pepsi-Cola company."
*Season 4: Kellyanda and friends are welcome back into Capital City, with the palace as their new home base, but there's no time to rest. War has truly started with Mordrea, the sorceress now capable of opening portals and sending her shadow armies wherever, whenever, the only reprieve when she needs to rest, the periods seemingly becoming shorter and shorter. Armies dwindle, kingdoms fall, and everyone is aware that they're just prolonging the inevitable. The only chance anyone has is if Kellyanda can find the final sword piece, have the sword reforged, then meet and defeat Mordrea on her own turf, and a mad dash to research and locate the final resting place, as well as Mordrea's base of operations, begins. Meanwhile, Kellyanda is still shaken by the revelation that Eagleworld is not another world. It's HER world! Earth millions of years in the future, long after the reign of humans. However, in a way, it bolsters her even more to defeat Mordrea, knowing she's also saving HER planet, even if it's long after she's passed. But that's the only thing on Kellyanda's mind, as Mordrea's brief mind meld begins granting her visions, seemingly random snippets in her dreams that become clearer and clearer with each night. Eventually, she realizes they're Mordrea's own memories from the Bird and Reptilian war thousands of years ago, and that Mordrea is trying to show Kellyanda her own side of things and why she's so intent on destroying the world to shape in her own image. While Kellyanda sympathizes with Mordrea, that doesn't give Mordrea the right to commit genocide, especially when both birds and draconians as a whole were not responsible, and those who were are long gone. The ending is in sight, and the final conflict will decide if the world lives or dies.
**Story Ideas
***After the Chairman's xenophobic reign, there's an attempt to restore the status quo and put birds and reptilians on the same level again. However, it's slow going, as there are holdouts and bigots that still hold a grudge, and displaced draconians who still haven't had their homes or all possessions returned. One day, Draco notices a shop owner unfairly expel a recently-homeless draconian and fling racist insults his way. That night, his shop goes up in flames, one of a similar string of incidents that had been popping up since Princess Eaglet retook the throne. At the suggestion of Princess Eaglet, Draco disguises his identity and goes undercover, triggering a small racist event, which causes a figure to emerge from the shadows and invite him to a secret meeting. Inside, dozens of draconians gather, led by one draconian that states that they can never live in equality with the birds, and the only way to truly have peace is to take over the government, expel the birds from the empire, and side with Mordrea. Signs of a hate group manifest, including bigoted speeches, propaganda, and a ceremonial burning of bird-produced books and art. The group's activities grow more and more violent, including devastating vandalism, grand thefts, and even an attempt on the lives of the new council. Draco is discovered, but escapes, and eventually finds and tells the others of his findings. When they eventually confront the leader of the hate group, they discover his collection of bird-produced art and literature. He admits that he has no personal hate for birds, but he recognizes those who do, and that such groups can easily be led like sheep by power-hungry leaders charismatic enough to appeal to them. The group and their leader are arrested, but Princess Eaglet recognizes that they are not the only hate group in the empire. That the Chairman's crusade against them has only opened the floodgates for similar gatherings and incidents, and the effects will be felt even after Mordrea's defeat...
***An ancient tome is unearthed in the castle library, revealed to be the journal of Remus himself! While mostly illegible, smudged, falling to pieces, and with whole pages torn out, enough is deciphered that suggests Remus and Mordrea WORKED TOGETHER! This calls into doubt which side Remus was on, and if the entire hunt for the sword is some elaborate trick. Having no other option, the search continues, though with even more uncertainty of the turnout.
***The return of the empress' bodyguard from last season. There's another near-deadly fight, this time, in a rainstorm. Lightning strikes the hawk's steel spiked balls and she screams, the first and only sound she makes, before dropping to the ground. She's taken to the hospital, where she's alive, but partially paralyzed, and she'll never be able to throw the spiked balls ever again. But, for the first time in her life, she's treated with kindness and like an individual, so things may turn out ok for her.
***A carnival rolls into town, providing some much-needed levity before Mordrea's next attack. However, Kellyanda and friends discover that the shadowy ringmaster is not just the carnival owner, but an ancient, seemingly-all-powerful being who can provide anything as a prize to those who solve his riddle. They meet with him to discuss getting the final sword fragment, and he confirms that not only can he get it for them, but he's the final guardian, himself! He gives them one hour to solve the riddle of what his name is. If they succeed, they will be given the sword piece. If they fail, they will join his carnival of souls forever, forced to serve him in any animate, or even inanimate, capacity he transforms them into. They agree, and are transported to a realm of challenges, where each challenge will, if solved correctly, grant them one of the five letters they'll need to discover his name. They compete each challenge, then have one chance to unscramble the letters to form his real name, their only clue that they need to know what they're looking for. Pondering it over and over in her mind, Kellyanda finally realizes what he meant, arranging the letters to spell "REMUS". Shocked, the others swear that couldn't be it, but, as the final grains fall through the hourglass, Kellyanda shouts that it's Remus. ...And wins, not only revealing the final sword piece, but freeing the carnival of souls and Remus himself. Remus explains that some pieces of his tale were intentionally twisted to provide a more satisfying legend, one where the prophecy may actually be fulfilled. In reality, Remus had no chance of defeating Mordrea with his few decades of basic magical study against her thousands of years of experience and her secrets lost to time. However, he discovered another way to defeat her. Mordrea spent thousands of years preparing herself to take over the world, which also meant thousands of years watching the world progress. And, in all that time of witnessing civilizations rise and fall, birds being born and dying, and major events occurring even in the smallest of places, doubt began to develop inside her. A twinge of hesitation that maybe her vengeance wasn't necessary, and her entire crusade should be forgotten in favor of allowing these birds who had nothing to do with the destruction of her people to live. Of course, it was overshadowed by her centuries of fear and hatred, but that small spark continued to burn inside of her, which is why she tried to drown it out by prematurely launching her first attack on the birds, as opposed to reaching a point where she could destroy the world with a snap of her fingers. Remus discovered a way to utilize that spark, and, in their confrontation, pulled the spark to the forefront of Mordrea's personality, pushing her hatred and vengeance aside and making her aware of the evils she was committing. Mordrea proves to be happy to be free of her hatred, but they both know it's only temporary, and soon, Mordrea's vengeful personality will return, so they work together to devise a way to stop Mordrea when she turns into a monster again. They eventually complete the plans for a weapon, but know they don't have time to forge it before Mordrea's personality returns, so they also plan for the sword to be divided into sections once complete, each segment guarded until the "chosen one" can claim them, and for Mordea to be placed in a deep slumber until that day. However, Mordrea's vengeful personality returns slightly sooner than they planned, cursing Remus to become the final guardian himself, before he drains her power, sends the pendant away, and puts her into a slumber. The "Remus" that actually guided construction on the sword was actually Remus' most trusted assistant, the only one aware of the partnership with Mordrea, who was granted a powerful illusion spell by Remus in his final moments of free will to make him assume the image of Remus, remaining a symbol of hope against Mordrea. Remus admits that the plan was actually to have the "chosen one" arrive 10 years after the defeat of Mordrea, when the hiding places were still known and Remus' followers could help guide them to each piece, training them for the final battle along the way. However, Mordrea's curse caused him to jolt and use too much magical energy, giving the spell enough for a thousand years. The guardians were also meant to simply be obstacles that would scare other seekers away and give the "chosen one" the sword segments when they arrived, but Mordrea clearly sabotaged that plan as well. Kellyanda asks why he chose her to fight Mordrea, and he replies that HE didn't, the pendant did. It likely arrived in her world thousands of years ago, worn by countless individuals, until it was finally passed to the person whom it could trust to be Eagleworld's savior. His role complete, Remus fades into the ether, wishing Kellyanda luck, though admitting he might have forgotten something. All the segments together, Kellyanda and friends go to get it reforged.
***Kellyanda wakes up in her bed. On earth! She still possesses full memories of her time on Eagleworld, but everyone claims that the boat incident never happened, that the trip went without a hitch, and they just arrived back home. Kellyanda can't believe it, thinking it's some elaborate illusion, and trying everything she can to break herself from it, causing many people to wonder if she's all right. Eventually, Kellyanda starts to doubt that Eagleworld ever happened at all, and finally settles back into and starts living her earth life. She finishes school, graduates college, becomes a successful writer, writing about her supposed time on Eagleworld, meets the man of her dreams, gets married, raises a family, and grows old, feeling that she's led a fulfilling life. She sighs happily, and her grown daughter and grandchildren come in to ask if everything's fine. To which Kellyanda responds "Oh yes, this has been a wonderful experience. ...Mordrea!" Suddenly, everything shatters around her and she's restored to her normal age, Mordrea appearing right in front of her. It was all a dream Mordrea concocted, able to have limited access to Kellyanda's subconscious thanks to the mind meld. Mordrea asks how she knew it was a dream, and Kellyanda admits that, while Mordrea did a good job recreating earth, there were some parts that were too perfect or too convenient, though it took her until then to finally challenge the illusion. Mordrea tells her that this is the life she could be living, the life she SHOULD have, if she'd just give up the pendant and go home. Kellyanda tells her of all the experiences she's had, everything she's gone through, and how much better she's become because of it, and that she's come too far to give up now! She forces herself awake, breaking the bond with Mordrea, and the experience proves too much for Mordrea to try again.
***Kellyanda and team go to a town and have a successful adventure. However, before they leave, Mordrea herself appears in the town. She uses her mighty magic to make everything rise up off the ground, before smiling at Kellyanda and vaporizing everyone and everything inside, turning everything into dust before teleporting back home. The experience nearly does Mordrea in, and she stumbles around her tower, gasping heavily at the amount of energy that took out of her. She's asked why she did that by her talking *whatever*, and she replies that, since Kellyanda repeatedly declined her offer of returning home, she had to be given more of a demonstration of what Mordrea was capable of. The destruction she could wield, and what she could do to Kellyanda if they had to battle. Mordrea believes that the experience will discourage Kellyanda and she'll give up her pendant rather than risk her life facing off against her. ...But Kellyanda takes it another way. That she's seen a sample of what Mordrea can do, and she has to defend the world against her full potential for destruction!
***Mordrea vs aliens! A large alien fleet arrives to take over Eagleworld. However, Mordrea floats into space itself and uses her powers to destroy the entire armada, showing that nobody's taking over the world but her!
***A gender-swap parallel universe story. "Carlswald", accompanied by his friends Draca and Magi, go through a journey very similar to Kellyanda's, with some divergences, and, of course, all genders flipped. They recover the weapon, traverse Mordred's tower, and defeat the sorcerer once and for all. The world is saved and Carlswald can now use Mordred's power to return home! ...Only for Carlswald to reveal that's not what he plans to do. In this universe, Carlswald witnessed all of humanity destroyed, exept for him, who was mysterously transported to this new world by his darker-colored keychain charm. Scarred forever by the experience, Carlswald is told about the prophecy and sees it as an opportunity to seize Mordred's power to rebuild his own world! It turns out that this universe's Remus was an evil sorcerer who sought to claim a planet for himself after being denied leadership of Rome with his brother Romulus, finding a way to transport himself through space and time to a planet he could exploit the much stronger magic of and conquer. It was he that began a long attack against the bird people, and the draconians that, in this reality, were a naturally-born species, guided by their ruler Mordred. With Mordred having made himself immortal and very powerful to protect his people, Remus created a sword that would destroy him, but, in the battle, Mordred drained HIS power into a crystal, sending it through time and space to hopefully never be found. With the last of his energy, Remus shattered the sword and sent each piece to a place Mordred would never find it, then placed a sleeping curse on HIM, before dying. Over time, the legend was warped and mistranslated, until it was no longer clear which side was good or evil. The crystal eventually latched onto Carlswald when it recognized how his will could easily be bent to evil, and he's sent to Eagleworld, where he's considered the hero of the story, while Mordred, weakened and trapped in the tower Remus had him imprisoned in, was the villain. All the attacks on Carlwald and the kingdoms and towns he journeyed through was Mordred trying to SAVE everyone from the human! But now, Carlwald was victorious. Utilizing Mordred's magic in conjunction with the crystals', he becomes the most powerful being on Eagleworld, vaporizing those who thought they were his friends, before wiping out all other sentient life in the world and replacing it with his own human creations. Creations he will seemingly control until the end of time...
***The sword is nearly complete, but one final element remains. To channel the magical essence of the sword, the spiritual essence of someone close to the bearer must be placed inside. The process is hopefully reversible, but, until Mordrea is defeated, one of Kellyanda's friends must effectively die. Draco volunteers, figuring it's time for him to have a life-changing experience, and his essence is transferred into the sword. What results is an enormously powerful sword capable of cutting through anything and deflecting any blast, with a decorative ruby placed in a space where the gem seemingly fell out. The sword finally ready, Kellyanda and team progress to their final battle against Mordrea.
***Mordrea's tower is finally discovered, with Kellyanda's magic-repelling pendant dissolving the illusion hiding it from the rest of the world. She uses her magic sword to cut through the incredibly strong door to the tower and begins her journey to the top and Mordrea, ending the main series.
*The Trials of Mordrea miniseries: A miniseries to finish off the series, with Kellyanda on her journey to Mordrea through her magical tower. This is no ordinary tower, each floor containing its own world and different challenges for Kellyanda and friends to overcome. The miniseries consists of 5-7 episodes, most divided into 2-3 eight-to-eleven minute segments, each detailing a different challenge Kellyanda must conquer to reach/clear the way to the exit. Some segments also show the outside world, with Mordrea's barrage on Eagleworld never more destructive, and we see the effect the attacks have all around the world, popping in on characters and locations we may not have seen for a long while, or only once. Each segment can be broadcast as a standalone episode or bundled into collections, depending on the network's preference.
**Story Ideas:
***The final confrontation. Kellyanda finally reaches Mordrea's chambers, with the sorceress waiting for her. Mage and whoever else followed Kellyanda are trapped outside the room entrance by a magical barrier, forcing Kellyanda to confront her alone. In the initial dialog, Mordrea confirms that Eagleworld IS Kellyanda's world, but over 5 million years in the future. She explains that humankind's destruction of the environment eventually caused the planet to effectively self-implode, the ground opening up with massive earthquakes, volcanoes, and many other large-scale natural disasters that covered the entire land, killing nearly every single living thing. Some humans managed to escape by traveling out to the stars, but if they safely made it is no concern of Mordreas'. With all this destruction, only two species proved capable of surviving: Birds, with their powerful wings that allowed them to travel from place-to-place, and Reptiles, which could more easily withstand the high temperatures and toxic environment, and live underground if it came to that. Eventually, the planet began cooling down and nature started to rebuild itself. The changing climates and landscapes began to guide Birds and Reptilians along a similar path of evolution as mankind once went through, and, over millions of years, they became the dominant species on the planet. ...Until one wiped out the other, leaving Mordrea as the sole survivor. Kellyanda asks Mordrea that, if she has the power to time travel, why she doesn't just go back in time and prevent Remus or Kellyanda from even being, or even warn her people against the bird invasion and devise an antidote for the bird flu. Mordrea replies that she doesn't to risk creating a paradox, that Kellyanda's presence is from a far enough time period and is insignificant, compared to the wide-scale damage to the universe Mordrea's actions would cause. Besides, the past holds no value to her. Mordrea offers one last time to send Kellyanda back to her own world if she'll hand over the pendant, but Kellyanda lists off her adventures and experiences, telling her that she wouldn't have gone through all that if she wasn't 100% dedicated to saving Eagleworld from her. The final battle begins, a fight to the death where only one will leave. This far into Mordrea's tower and in this proximity to the sorceress, Kellyanda's pendant provides much less protection, but even so, only a physical attack or direct magical blast from Mordrea can harm her. Kellyanda proves all her time training with the sword has paid off, blocking most of the attacks from Mordrea and even dealing a few blows of her own. Even so, it takes everything she has to withstand the unbelievably powerful being. Finally, Kellyanda gets in a lucky hit and stabs Mordrea right through the heart. Mordrea falls to her knees, sobbing in pain and defeat. ...Then begins laughing maniacally, pulling the sword out of her and flinging it at Kellyanda's feet. Even the sword has no effect on the most powerful sorceress in the world! Mordrea says that this game has been fun, but it's time to end it, and prepares a blast that will disintegrate Kellyanda. ...Suddenly, Kellyanda begins flashing back to every bit of relevant information about Mordrea and beings she's confronted with similar magical abilities. ...And has a revelation! Kellyanda begs to ask her one last question before she's killed, which Mordreas impatiently agrees to. To which Kellyanda simply asks "Why did you never try to kill me?" Mordrea flippantly replies that she DID already make multiple attempts, but her magic was blocked by Kellyanda's pendant, and that Kellyanda already knows this! But Kellyanda replies that those were just MAGICAL attacks against HER, someone she knew could withstand them. Mordrea could have done SO many other things. Trapped her in a large pit, threw a wall of physical spikes at her, let a cloud of poisonous gas fill the land, etc. Heck, Kellyanda was protected, but her friends weren't. If Mordrea knew where she was and who was helping her, she could have easily killed any of them, or even wiped out anywhere Kellyanda tried to call home, leaving her lost and completely clueless, never knowing where to go or what to do! Mordrea begins to stammer for an answer, seemingly having never thought about this before. Kellyanda tells her what she thinks. That, deep down inside, Mordrea WANTED this day to come! She WANTED Kellyanda to begin her quest, she WANTED Kellyanda to find the sword, and she currently WANTS to be defeated! Because, deep down, she wants to be reuinited with the piece of her she lost so many centuries ago, that she cast off out of fear her vengeful side would destroy it, and that she entrusted with containing much of her power and with guiding someone who could free her from the evil energy that controlled her. The piece of her contained within the crystal Kellyanda wore around her neck! Kellyanda tells Mordrea that, if she wants it so badly, she can have it, finally being allowed to detatch the crystal from her neck, ripping out the jewel that occupies the slot in her sword, and placing the crystal in its place. The resulting sword glows with such magnificent energy, it appears to warp the area around Kellyanda and Mordrea. While Mordrea continues to fire her most powerful offensive spells at Kellyanda, the sword seems to cut straight through them, even those that prove immaterial! Kellyanda rushes forward for the killing blow, but Mordrea fills herself with every last drop of energy she can and releases it all into one blast, bathing the area in a blinding white flash. When Kellyanda comes to, she finds herself floating in a white void, which she can mysteriously fly through. From seemingly out of nowhere, a giant, shadowy version of Mordrea emerges, thanking Kellyanda for reuniting her with her power, and that, after she destroys Kellyanda, nothing will stop her from instantly wiping out the entire world. Tentacles shoot out of the shadowy form that attempt to grab or pierce Kellyanda, but she's able to dodge or cut through them. However, the barrage keeps coming, and Kellyanda seems doomed. Suddenly, forms resembling Draco and Mage appear, seemingly formed out of light, and help her fight off the barrage. With more attention now focused on Mordrea, Kellyanda notices a part of the shadowy form pulsating like a heart, and gets the impression that something is trapped inside. As her friends defend her, she slashes at the area, revealing a younger version of Mordrea, from before her vengeful crusade against birdkind began. She grabs the unconscious form, and, with great effort, finally pulls her free of the shadowy mass. The mass begins screaming, losing its shape and beginning to disappate. It begs Mordrea to take it back, but the now-awake Mordrea tells it that she'll never let it in again! It then offers itself to Kellyanda, telling her it will allow her to do whatever she wants, as long as it can keep a form, but Kellyanda also visciously turns it down. It attempts to take their forms by force, but proves too weak, screaming about how it has to have form and shrinking before their eyes, before disappearing forever. The evil gone, Kellyanda meets the innocent side of Mordrea for the first time, after being freed from the evil energy she had trapped herself in for millenia. Mordrea thanks Kellyanda for rescuing her, and expresses great sorrow at all the misery and destruction she had caused, saying she just wanted her people back, but with her anger and vengefulness, she allowed herself to be taken by evil, and became trapped in her own desires. She asks if she'll ever be forgiven for what she's done, and Kellyanda tells her that she will. They embrace, then Mordrea floats away, joining the silhouettes of her people in the distance. Kellyanda suddenly awakens back in the tower, her sword, pendant, and Mordrea all gone. The barrier dissapates and Mage and friends come into the room, telling Kellyanda that she and Mordrea disappeared in a white flash for literally a split-second, and they ask what happened. To which Kellyanda replies "Mordrea has finally found her peace." They start to celebrate, but the tower, which had been held together by Mordrea's magic, begins to crumble, and they quickly escape. As the tower crumbles, we see Mordrea's shadow creatures disappate around the world, the battle finally over in favor of the birds and draconians. When they get back to Capital City, it's revealed Draco is also conscious, just suddenly waking up around the same time Mordrea disappeared. A massive celebration begins, to celebrate the victory and to honor Kellyanda. Kellyanda is happy that it's all over, but disappointed that no way home opened. Despite being offered every position in every court by every leader, and the massive amount of deals businesses and marketers want to sign her up for that would make her very rich, Kellyanda shows apathy to everything, wondering what went wrong. A scholar brings up a passage from Remus' journal, and Kellyanda realizes they forgot something. Kellyanda, Mage, Draco, Princess Eaglet, and a group of others all fly back to the tower ruins, where, after much digging, they find another crystal similar to Mordrea's, one that Mordrea used to power the sentient thing that she'd regularly converse with, and it turns out to be the spectral form of Remus. Remus also encased a piece of his soul in a crystal, the piece of him that loved his world and that contained his desire to go home, that, since he couldn't use, he wanted to share with the "chosen one". He congratulates Kellyanda on a job well done, before turning into a portal that, presumably, leads to Kellyanda's time and world. Kellyanda says goodbye to all her friends, hugging each of them, before walking through the portal and back home. ...After the credits, as everyone is standing around where the portal stood, one businessman asks "Since Kellyanda's gone, does that mean her image is public domain?" and the episode, and series, ends.
...Until the sequel!
