So, I gave it a lot of thought, and against my better judgment, I've decided to start something fresh. This particular SYOC is something I've been wanting to do for a while now, and hopefully this will pull me out of the funk I've been in all summer. Also I just love magic and the Fairy Tail universe.
The form will be on my account, and I ask that they be primarily sent via PM. Both to avoid spoilers and so I don't end up losing them through some unfortunate incident or another.
X776
Late Autumn
She kneeled in front of a large cardboard box, unwrapping ornaments. The old Guild Hall was dusty, worn with age and disuse. The grand main hall felt empty, without people to fill the seats, food and drink to clutter the tabletops. But it was time, at last, to return home.
The old photos at the bottom of the box made her conscious of her age, of how much time had passed. She lifted each one out, placing them on the mantel with ginger hands; hanging them along the back wall with a gentleness that belied the calloused and scarred hands, dark skin like that of worn leather. They weren't quite enough to fill up the entire space, but she knew that within time, there would be more.
There was a knock on the wide oak doors, which creaked open. There were many repairs to do before the building could host any mages.
"Granny?" She looked up, smiling at the boy looking down at her. The sun leaking in through the open doors and past the drawn curtains seemed radiant, and her boy's dark eyes glittered in the sunlight. She opened her arms for him. He was hesitant and unsure—worried—but smiled nonetheless, and the world fell into place.
Her family would return—perhaps not in a physical form, but in spirit. She could not tell him, not with words, but she could show him. She could let him experience it with his own eyes, learn and find his own family. With all her soul, she wanted him to understand what it meant to have friends. Family.
She held her grandson close with her calloused and scarred hands, and borrowed a few more years.
10 Years Later
X786
Winter
Spirit clutched the amulet around his neck—a comforting gesture as he rubbed the smooth dark surface with his thumb. A protective talisman, carved from the mountain stone, in the shape of their Guild Mark. The thought made him smile as he traced the footprint. The mountain spirits were quiet that day, the breeze only carrying sleepy whispers from the lonely peaks. It was truly winter now, snow caking the upper deck and making it slick with ice.
He was careful to edge slowly farther out, making sure not to get near the edge. He did not want a repeat of the last time.
It was still early, and he could see the Hermitage was still dark, none of the mages awake; or perhaps, none of them wanted to brave the cold floors and the icy corridor leading to the main building. The Guild was built into the side of Spiritus Mountain—the place for which he was named—and it held a view of Fiore that no other Guild could beat. Unfortunately, that also meant a long climb up and down the rocky paths for every trip into town. It was no doubt the number one complaint of the other members, to which the Master always replied, "It's good for your health!"
Dark schorl eyes squinted as the bright sun at last rose above the clouds, shedding the mountainside with a near-blinding light, and Spirit dug his weather-worn face a little deeper into the high wool collar of his coat.
Calloused and scarred hands rubbed his arms in a comforting gesture that brought as much warmth to his heart as it did to his body. "Spyro, why don't you come inside? I've got hot cocoa waiting on the bar." Shekinah smiled as Spirit turned around to stand face to face with the Guild Master.
He groaned. "Gran, I'm not twelve anymore."
She raised an eyebrow, her wizened face looking positively mischievous. "That didn't stop you last night." He ignored the flush in his face as he edged back inside. Unfortunately, icy decks didn't make for easy stomping, and Shekinah laughed.
The sliding doors connecting the deck to the main hall were closed against the wintry wind, and a large fire roared in the back of the room, surrounded by several squishy armchairs and sofas. It was the favorite hangout spot in the winter, the mantel and surrounding wall covered in photos, both old and new. The Guild Master's fondness for photos did not go unnoticed.
Spirit walked around the many large tables spread about the room, heading in as straight a line as possible directly to the bar, where a steaming mug of the aforementioned sweet drink sat waiting. He sank into a barstool, and sighed into his drink. The Guild Master already went about making more cups for the other early risers of the Guild. Well, let it not be said that the Spirit Walker Guild Master didn't make a mean cup of hot chocolate.
He had drained his mug just as the back door leading to the Hermitage opened at last, Shekinah greeting the newcomer as Spirit set the now empty mug back onto the table. He scratched at the silver Guild Mark on the back of his neck absently as they sat down beside him.
Maybe he'd have another cup of cocoa.
So that's it for the prologue. All the info you need for the story for character creating (for the moment) is below. The list of Guilds will be on my profile, and will be updated as they become available.
I will not be accepting any new Guilds for the moment, but if you have any further questions about anything, just PM me. ^-^
The Guilds:
Spirit Walker [Submissions Closed]
Status: Light Guild
The Guild Mark is in a stylized shape of two footprints that look as if they're fading away.
The current Guild Master is an old woman, Shekinah Hugues (AKA the Grim Reaper), whose grandson Spyro "Spirit" Hugues, a nineteen year old mage, is one of the guild members.
It's located in the northwest mountainous region of Fiore, just outside and above a small town called Lilium on Mt. Spiritus. The mountain is second in height only to its neighbor, Mt. Penumbra.
Every fall, Lilium and two other towns nestled around Mt. Penumbra - Columbine and Aster Village - hold the Harvest Festival, during which Spirit Walker holds their annual S-class Trials.
The Spirit Walker Guild is an old, old Guild that went out of business, so to speak, many years ago after a tragedy involving the first Guild Master, Hugo "Spiritus". Though not a well-known Guild, those in the area know the story well. The Guild building was left abandoned after the incident, and remained unused for many years, partly due to rumors of it being haunted. One of the youngest members—now an old woman whose name is Shekinah Hugues—brought the Guild back after many years.
It's been around officially for only a few years, but the building's been open to mages for ten years now, and only recently has gained enough mages to actually make a name for itself. Many of its members still believe the building and surrounding area is haunted.
Soul Eater [Submissions Closed]
Status: Dark Guild
It's the polar opposite of Spirit Walker the way Raven Tail was to Fairy Tail, in a way. While, for the most part, they're considered not much more than urban legend, supposedly they're a group of dark mages who steal and devour souls to gain further power.
The Guild Mark is a single, clawed demon's hand holding a loose soul.
The current Guild Master is known simply as the "Soul Stealer". They started the Guild a little under ten years ago, and unlike most Dark Guilds, they've acquired less than twenty members. However, nearly all their members are around S-class level.
The Neighbors [Submissions Open]
Status: Light Guild
The Guild Mark is that of an upside down house with people standing in a circle on top of it.
The current Guild Master is a middle-aged woman named Brooklyn Paise, also known as "Little Miss" or "Queen of the Stars". She helped turn the Guild around into what it's known as today.
The Guild is located in a small town called Hennaberg, which is located between two mountains.
With the effort of Brooklyn and the rest of the Guild, a local hot spring has made the town quite the tourist attraction.
The Neighbors Guild was originally known as a Dark Guild to the locals. It wasn't so much because they were considered evil, however, but rather because the Guild Master of the time never got the proper paperwork done to become a legal guild. They were unnamed at the time still, and as the current Guild Master, Brooklyn Paise, began encouraging them to clean up their act, the local town often called the members "quite neighborly". Thus it became their name. The Master had gotten weak and sick over time, and three years later, he passed away in his sleep at the age of 54, naming Brooklyn Paise as the next Guild Master.
Wilted Rose [Submissions Open]
Status: Light Guild
The Guild Mark is, as the name implies, a wilted rose.
The current Guild Master is its founder, Blair Nightshade, also known as the "Queen of Bones".
It's located in the local forest just outside of Majus Town. The small town is located on the northeast borders of Fiore's central mountains.
Majus Town is known for making and exporting lacrima and is home to some of the most talented lacrima smithies in Fiore.
Wilted Rose is a relatively new Guild, having been only three years since its establishment. Blair established it as a way to help people, but also to give former dark mages a fresh start and a new life to redeem themselves, hence the name. The members would be like roses wilted because of their previous deeds, given a new place to regrow. It's open to anyone looking for a fresh start, but has been gaining a reputation both as a place not to be messed with, but as a place that shelters dark mages trying to change. Rumors have it that the Guild Hall itself is a weapon.
Silent Moon [Submissions Open]
Status: Light Guild
The Guild Mark is a full moon with a zipper going through the center.
The current Guild Master and founder is Benjamin Morse, otherwise known as the "Sage". He's rumored to be at equal strength with some of the Ten Wizard Saints.
It's located just outside of Mudin, atop a plateau overlooking the town in southern Fiore.
One of Mudis' top hangouts include the Pool Hall, with all the tabletop games and food and drinks (alcoholic beverages included).
Silent Moon is one of the older Guilds in Fiore, created atop the hill where the founder and his wife were married. It was a place built for those with nowhere else to go, such as and including orphans, street rats, and reformed criminals. Silent Moon has a strong relationship with its local town, and many of its resident mages like to hang out in Mudis in their free time. It's a well-established Guild with a strong Master.
Open Heart [Submissions Open]
Status: Dark Guild
The Guild Mark is a hollow half heart.
The current Guild Master is unknown as of this moment, other than the intense fear they hold over each member of Open Heart.
Being a Dark Guild, Open Heart is willing to do anything for more power. They're known in particular for completing many assassination jobs with efficiency and secrecy. At some unknown point in time, they began to dabble in human experimentation. They were known in the underworld for being able to pass under the radar of the major Guilds in Fiore, operating largely undetected. This changed an indeterminate number of years ago, when one of their strongest and most ruthless mages, the Razer, vanished, and two of their experiments escaped, leaving the Guild in shambles. Rumor in recent years has them starting to return to the underworld under a new Guild Master.
So I completely forgot to talk about rules and limits. Haha sorry it was late when I posted this and I'm a bit sick.
So! Rules!
+Each person can send in only one mage for Spirit Walker, however, you can send in another mage for a different Guild.
+I'll be accepting up to 4 S-Rank mages, but if there ends up being less in the story, that will only be because of the submissions I get.
+I will be accepting up to four Slayers of any kind for Spirit Walker, and possibly one or two more for another Guild.
+I will be accepting one Celestial Spirit Mage for plot reasons.
+The Guilds you can submit a character to will primarily be either the main, Spirit Walker, or the dark, Soul Eater. However, if you want to send in a character for either a canon Guild or one of your own Guilds, ask me first, but likely, you should be able to, both cause they will occasionally run into other Guilds and also because of the later Grand Magic Games arc. I'll keep the Guilds that have been accepted listed (with their mages) on my profile.
-If you make your own Guild, you're welcome to create a Guild Master.
-I'm only going to accept so many original Guilds, so be sure to check my profile to see if you want to join someone else's.
+Since this story's timeline is primarily during the time Fairy Tail is missing, Fairy Tail mages are completely off limits.
+I'm willing to accept any age, but if your character is over 70 or under 10, please have a reason as to how/why they found and would stay at a Guild up in the mountains.
-If your character is under 10 and you want to create a mother and/or father also in the Guild as your reason, (like Asuka with Bisca and Alzack) please ask me before submitting forms for the parents. I don't want three families or something all part of the Guild, cause it's not that common.
-If you want to submit siblings that are all part of Spirit Walker (such as Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane), please consult with me first.
Characters We Met:
Shekinah Hugues – the second Guild Master of the Spirit Walker Guild
Spyro "Spirit" Hugues – a nineteen year old member and grandson of the current Guild Master